Employee of the Month

Review By: Michael Dance
MichaelDance@TheCinemaSource.com

Do you like Dane Cook? I do. He’s a funny man. I’ve never seen him live, but I’ve caught a handful of his stand-up specials on television, including his most recent on HBO. His riffs range from the familiar (fights with girlfriends) to the quirky (my favorite bit was about the joy of crying in front of a mirror), but he has a spot-on delivery that makes him solidly above-average in the world of observant stand-up humor.

He’s also quite good-looking, which probably didn’t hurt when he rocketed to stardom faster than any stand-up comic in recent memory. With his energetic performances and his devilish constant-smirk that would make any girl’s father nervous, it’s no wonder that he has a huge development deal at HBO and his recent second comedy CD was certified platinum.

And then, of course, the movies come knocking. He’s no stranger to the business, having a few small roles in smaller films like Waiting and Torque under his belt. But his newest movie, Employee of the Month is a mainstream comedy with him in the lead that’s surely meant to propel him to the upper echelons of high-paid comedians like your Sandlers and Ferrells. (An SNL alum he’s not, but he has hosted twice and counting.)

The movie takes place in one of those giant wholesale warehouse stores like Sam’s Club or Costco called Super Club (or, as the logo suggests, Club Super, but whatever). Cook plays Zack Bradley, a slacker box boy (is there any other kind?) who lives with his grandmother and likes to hang out with C-list celebrities like Andy Dick and Harland Williams, who also work at the store. His ultimate nemesis is overachiever Vince Downey (Punk’d’s Dax Shepard), a bleached-blonde jerk who’s in line to win Employee of the Month for eighteen straight months, which would win him a semi-new sedan. (He also has a penchant for C-list celebrities, as his closest ally is played by Efren Ramirez. You know, “Vote for Pedro.”)

Enter Amy, played by Jessica Simpson’s Breasts. Word on the street is that she only sleeps with the Employees of the Month. That would basically make her a slut, but never mind – since she’s played by Jessica Simpson’s Breasts, Zack immediately wants her, and makes it his goal to win the title. Thus begins a huge competition with Vince, in which Zack becomes newly motivated but forgets about his old friends, etc. etc.

The plot is pure formula and is, hate to say it, pretty boring. Why can’t the powers that be come up with a second formula besides the whole get-really-close-to-succeeding-then do-something-bad-which-makes-the-girl-hate-you and-you-think-all-hope-is-lost until-you-prove-yourself-in-the-end-and-get-the-girl-back routine?

The enjoyment of the movie can be found instead in the details. The employees constantly break and open merchandise so that they can take it for themselves. Zack and his friends have a hidden lounge they can only access with a ...