By Greg Vellante
Correspondent

“Get Him to the Greek” is the cinematic equivalent of a lifestyle. For just short of two hours, viewers find themselves sucked into the exaggerated hilarity of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, and the impact is downright exhausting.

Stemming from British comedian Russell Brand’s character Aldous Snow from “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek” is a comedy that zeroes in on this unusual rock ‘n’ roll entity with surprising scrutiny. Aldous Snow is truly an innovative character, and it is no surprise that a spin-off was put into production after Brand took the character and stole nearly every scene in “Sarah Marshall.”

In “Greek,” Snow has become a musical has-been; a junkie simplified to a VH1-Behind-the-Music memory of lost potential, yet he still steals the paparazzi spotlight on a regular basis due to his outlandish antics. A young record company intern named Aaron Green (played by Jonah Hill, who, despite a minor role in “Sarah Marshall,” is back as a completely new character) suggests a comeback concert at the Greek Theater in LA.

His boss, an uproarious Sean “Insert Nickname Here” Combs, warms to the idea and gives Aaron the chance to take responsibility for picking up Aldous and getting him back to LA in 72 hours. If the viewers know anything about Aldous Snow, they already know that Aaron Green has not been handed an easy task.

“Get Him to the Greek” is merely plot, setup, and all the hilarity that ensues within. After Aaron picks up Aldous, the duo partakes in a non-stop ride of partying and antics that rarely seems to slow down. Most scenes fit no particular order, and if they were swapped around, the film would maintain most of its consistency.

Clubs, hotel rooms, alcohol, drugs, sex, violence; as I said before, “Get Him to the Greek” fits an entire rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle into 109 minutes of continuous laughs. The film is like a shot of adrenaline to the heart, mixed with a few shots of Red Bull, and capped off with a 2-mile sprint on an inclined treadmill. There are films that put me to sleep, and films that make me feel like I need to take a nap afterward. “Get Him to the Greek” is the latter.

When the film finally does slow down a bit, “Greek” is at its emotional best. The character of Aldous Snow could almost be the focal point of a drama at times, from his struggle with sobriety to his charmed charade of happiness. Through his British shield of witty magnetism, Brand’s character is nothing more than a lost soul. “Get Him to the Greek” presents him with a rare feat of comedic honesty and delivers what many comedies fail to achieve; heart.

MOVIE REVIEW
‘Get Him to the Greek’
3 1/2 out of 4 stars