The Promotion

Ahh, 2008 -- the year Stifler proved he can really act. This isn't as laugh-out-loud funny as Role Models, but they're also completely different comedies. There isn't a lot of obvious humour here, it's almost entirely character-based, as Conrad's script depends more on the strength of its dialog than any zany competitive hi-jinx. There are a few moments of inspired hilarity, and on the whole the movie is quite charming and well done. The cast is fantastic.

The humour was drier than wheat toast.

Hilarity mixed swimmingly with poignancy and boasts the best pay off for a running gag I've seen in years. I loved every minute of it, except Lili Taylor's Scottish accent, but she's not in the movie that much.

I actually enjoyed this, it is Scott's best role and both comedians play off the serious parts well. I also dug the soundtrack. Not great but worth a watch.

Steve Conrad is one of the most underrated screenwriters in Hollywood. Dry humor that derives from everyday life and creates characters that are completely real and empathetic.

"A fantastic little comedy, filled with all sorts of weird moments, funny quips, colorful characters, and strange diversions."

A very likable and very dry comedy that wins the audience over with well-written dialogue instead of gross-out gags or slapstick. Seann William Scott proves he has more to offer than just Stifler and John C. Reilly is always awesome.

A quirky, awkward comedy that is as original a film as you will see all year, if not longer.

I went in expecting a duh-duh comedy - it wasn't. Ads and reviews give the impression it's a smart, thinking comedy - it wasn't. It was just a surprisingly solid dry (very dry... almost... sedated) comedy. But, JASON BATEMAN AGAIN? (P.S., Lili Taylor sucks, especially at unnecessary Scottish accents that don't sound Scottish)

Not too bad, it's quite silly-funny

Seen: 2.

........juuuust sooooo boring

I got enough laughs to enjoy it.

I genuinely love this movie. "Your soups are sloppy," is one of my most used movie lines.

Low key comedy which is surprisingly adept at showing the humanity of all the characters, and this makes for quite a few poignant moments, as well as some laughs.

Eh...

This movie surprised me. The script was a lot better then I was expecting. The two main characters were well written and each had more then one trait. There were not many laugh out loud moments but the story was interesting.

Not that funny, but even though I've seen this story before, it's interesting because the antagonist isn't really an asshole. Plus, all of the actors are pretty likable. It just doesn't completely deliver on its potential.

Forever disappointing.

I'd never heard of this until it showed on TV today. Better than I had expected considering.

If the plot wasn't done dozens of times before they might have had something special here. Reilly and Scott pull off the whole "two guys at odds over the same ends" routine very well, but this movie just screams derivative.

"Saying The Promotion's tone is all wrong would imply that it had a tone to begin with." - Nick Schager

Since these guys have been in so many laugh-out-loud hilarious movies, I was surprised by the sedate style of comedy in this one. I did enjoy it quite a bit--there is some terrific comic acting going on here, and excellent character development too. We weren't laughing our heads off at this to be sure, but our eyes were glued to screen because every five minutes something happens affecting the promotion and the movie did a good job of making them all a big deal.

Not laugh out loud funny, but still good.

Having worked for multiple corporations, this movie depicts the same fantasy world that training videos do in the way people act and speak.

The film is weak, I expect much more. The story has a good argument, but is shown fully dispersed. I like John C. Reilly, but it does not save the movie, does not seem to be a comedy, in overall is not funny.

Better than i had imagined.

It's like the director was trying to make a slap-stick comedy and win an Oscar. It's a combination that doesn't work. This is basically a slow boring comedy that deal with depression and failure in and/of the working class.

A strangely interesting drama-comedy. I'm amazed that I was actually convinced that Sean William Scott could be a decent actor. Pam from The Office is here too. She should be more places.

Quite nice.

I think I need to watch this one again.

"...a more restrained, human approach, lightly coating its story with a sprinkle of black humour rather than heaping on the pratfalls."

Amusing

Reminds me a lot of Employee of the Month only better. I chuckled a few times, laughed out loud a few times. For that it's at least worth a watch if you got nothing better to do.

I was expecting this movie to be some crappy comedy about two guys trying to pull the rug underneath each other. I was surprised when there was none of that and it even had some drama elements that kinda worked.

watchable

kind of left me with a smile on the face, SW Scott is good in this movie, somehow reminded me of juno

The Promotion is a good-hearted dramedy that's sort of stuck in a limbo of extremely dry humor and an interesting drama of the average American's struggle to succeed in the workplace. It has its comedic moments - watch John C. Reilly with a paper bag over his head in a seminar with Jason Bateman. But overall, it's a bit too simple and much too dry where the laughs are sporadic. At least it's better than "Employee of the Month."

It was funnier than other movies Sean William Scott has done...

Two guys trying to best each other for a manager position at a new grocery store. With both pinning their home lives on getting the position, it's a game of oneupmanship to prove their merit. The movie is confused whether it's trying to be a comedy or drama, it isn't strong in either or strong enough in between.

Black apples!

Not bad. John C. Reilly is a great actor and Seann William Scott surprisingly holds his own next to him. It's ultimately just forgettable and pointless but it's so short that sitting down for 80 minutes shouldn't be too big of a deal.