In this plot, if you can say a movie like this even has one, the Manboys aren’t placed in a contrived situation, they simply exist. Jobless, 39-year-old Brennan lives with his divorced mom Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) with no purpose in life beyond his existence as a foul-mouthed couch potato. Nancy decides to get married, she and Brennan move in with her new husband Robert (Richard Jenkins) and his son 40-year-old son Dale, also a shiftless manboy. As expected, the two “boys” instantly hate each other and find all sorts of ways to torture one another.

Eventually, having had enough of the brawling, the parents issue an ultimatum:  get jobs or else. Of course, having been enabled in this bad behavior for 20 years, Dale and Brennan have no real skills which leads to a ridiculous string of interviews for the two that only showcase their stupidity. The boys finally bond over a mutual hatred of Brennan’s egotistical younger brother Derek and a mutual love of actor John Stamos. Now fast friends they decide to start an entertainment business together, with predictable results.

Despite great performances by the leads, and Brennan’s and Dale’s completely believable goofiness, there is a mean-spiritedness about the film seen in some of the things they do to one another. To say nothing of the over-the-top crudity of it all. The Manboys eventually see how their immaturity is destroying their parents' marriage. In the end the message of the film leads to the predictable:  it’s really best if 40-year-olds act like men and not children. Follow your dreams but remember your responsibilities. If you are a Ferrell fan who can overlook the film’s flaws and ignore the non-stop coarseness, there may be some laughs here for you.  If not, the trashiness greatly overshadows the funny.

CAUTIONS:  Please note, there is almost more vulgarity in this film than can be catalogued. My notes below should be considered the highlights (or lowlights) and not a comprehensive list of cautions.

• Language/Profanity:  Vulgar, cringe-inducing language in almost every scene. A great deal of crude sexual discussion. The Lord’s name taken in vain a few times.
• Drugs/Alcohol:  Social drinking at dinner parties.
• Violence:  Brennan and Dale get into several brawls and fist fights through out the film. The two brutally torture and pound on one another with various objects. They are at one point beat up by a group of grade school children who make them eat dog excrement. Later they return to exact their revenge and beat up the kids. Dale and Brennan sleepwalk and trash the house while doing so.
• Sex/Nudity:  Nancy and Robert fall into bed together, undressing one another in a fit of passion. The scene cuts before there is any nudity. Brennan “defiles” Dale’s beloved drum set in a scene that involves male frontal nudity. Derek’s wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn) hits on Dale in a scene that includes an extremely crude monologue. Later Dale and Alice have sex in a restaurant bathroom, no nudity shown but it still manages to be quite graphic. Brennan hits on his female therapist (Andrea Savage). She is later shown in racy underwear during a dream sequence. Pornographic magazines show up several times, while not showing any explicit nudity. Masturbation is the topic of several jokes.