Quick Review: Get Him To The Greek

One of my favorite movies of 2008 was "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," in which the title character breaks up with Jason Segel's character and moves on to a rock star named Aldous Snow, lead singer of Infant Sorrow. The movie did well enough to lead to another one -- except it's not a sequel but a spinoff featuring Snow (Russell Brand). In "Get Him to the Greek," Snow is in a downward spiral after the commercial failure and critical revulsion at his new song, "African Child." He goes off the wagon, drinking and drugging, and his pop-star girlfriend leaves him, taking their son with her. Enter Aaron Green (Jonah Hill, who was also in "Sarah Marshall" but as a different character), who works for Snow's record company. It's Aaron's assignment to escort Snow from London to New York (to appear on the "Today" show) and then to L.A. for a concert at the Greek Theater to mark the 10th anniversary of Snow's legendary concert there. There was an underlying sweetness to "Sarah Marshall" that made that film really shine. That is non-existent in "Get Him to the Greek." The film tries at times, with scenes involving Aaron and his girlfriend ("Mad Men" star Elisabeth Moss) and Aldous and his ex, but it's overwhelmed by the raunchiness. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but there are some real laugh-out-loud moments, and a wild performance by Sean "Puff Daddy/Puffy/Puff/P. Diddy/Diddy" Combs as the head of the record company. My grade: B.