Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Beerfest'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Generally, the comedies that we all consider to be true classics, fall into two categories; rip-roaringly hilarious films that leave us in tears every single time we watch them, or, it's a comedy that happens to have meaning to go along with all the jokes and once in a while, there are special gems that appear in the genre that manage to combine both of those elements.

Those are the comedies that truly withstand the test of time and that's the kind of film that was clearly on the minds of the comedy troupe Broken Lizard, and after creating a tear inducing comedy with ​Super Troopers, and their successful venture  to blend classic horror with modern laughs in Club Dread, these fine comedic minds decided it was high time to add some meaning to the yuks with their third film, Beerfest. 

The plot of this particular film introduces us to the Wolfhouse brothers, Jan and Todd, who set out to Munich to spread the ashes of their grandfather at Oktoberfest as per family tradition. But during their stay in this Beer filled wonderland, they stumble upon some shocking revelations; that there is an underground beer tournament known as Beerfest run by a distant relative, along with some embarrassing facts about their beloved grandfather, and they quickly come to realize...that they must find a way to become the Champions of Beerfest in order to restore their family's honor and exact revenge upon that jerk of a relative. 

So at this point, you're probably wondering how on earth a comedy about drinking more beer than any human being on this planet should ever consume has any level of thoughtful meaning and the answer to your question is simple...Beerfest is all about family and the sheer importance of having family and close friends in your life. That's evident really from the get go since Jan and Todd are eager to follow tradition and restore honor to their family's legacy, and it continues as they build their team their from the ground up and while it may seem that I'm more or less painting the picture of a comedy drama, make no mistake about it...this movie brings the laughs through and through.

You'll find plenty to laugh about during essentially every waking moment of Beerfest, and to top it off, this movie also signals growth acting wise for the members of Broken Lizard as well, since they take on new challenges in this story. Steve Lemme is nearly unrecognizable as Steve 'Fink' Finklestein since he completely slips into the role and Kevin Heffernan does a phenomenal job when it comes to Phil and Gil 'Landfill' Krundle since he finds a way for the two to have vastly different personalities. Either way, this is another incredible motion picture from Broken Lizard. They succeed in placing meaning into this movie, and you'll spend plenty of time wiping the tears from your eyes thanks to all the jokes and when all is said and done, you'll also never look at a boot the same way, ever again. 

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