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'Get Him to the Greek'

In "Get Him to the Greek," Russell Brand reprises his role as the wild-maned and out-of-control rock star from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (a movie I'd like to forget). This time out, hilarity ensues when the easily-flummoxed Jonah Hill is charged with getting Brand's character - you guessed it - to the Greek Theater in L.A.

In "Get Him to the Greek," Russell Brand reprises his role as the wild-maned and out-of-control rock star from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (a movie I'd like to forget). This time out, hilarity ensues when the easily-flummoxed Jonah Hill is charged with getting Brand's character - you guessed it - to the Greek Theater in L.A.

But the poster works. Really. I know exactly that this movie's about and why I want to see it. It's also clearly the modern version of "My Favorite Year," a great movie with Peter O'Toole, whose larger-than-life character imparts a lifetime of wisdom to his much-younger handler.

Unfortunately, the most interesting thing about Brand is that he gets to see Katy Perry naked. Judd Apatow's team knows how to make hit comedies - they keep making the same one, again and again (and again) - and "Greek" has summer hit written all over it.

Whether it can become something that lasts all depends on Hill. Can he get beyond the "dude, that's not cool" monotone he's used in every other Apatow movie and go subtle (instead of ironic)? Can he dig deep and give us a vulnerable character we care about (to contrast Brand's one-note self-indulgence)?