We're The Millers (15)

Life, as the old adage goes, is what happens when you're making other plans, such as what to see at the cinema.

Take today, for example. I wanted to see Elysium. Life, however, decided I didn't really want to watch Matt Damon in an action-packed sci-fi flick, so conspired to make it not happen.

Instead, by the time I got there, the only thing I could really watch was We're The Millers. The lame-looking comedy that failed to make me laugh every time I watched the trailer. Great.

It's a bit like buying the new Nine Inch Nails album, opening the CD (I'm old skool, it's how I roll) and discovering a Coldplay disc. Sure, you could listen to it, but no one in their right mind would want to.

Still, beggars can't be choosers in this game, we can but review what's in front of our eyes, so heavy of heart and expectations duly lowered, into the screening I shuffled.

And something weird happened.

I laughed.

Within minutes.

And that wasn't the only laugh. There were many. There were much. And not smiles, no. Laughs. Proper laughs, where you actually bend over in your seat laughing. Those ones. There was much of such laughs.

That wasn't in the script.

And it's not that We're The Millers is groundbreakingly original, or bitingly satirical - it's neither. It's an idea that's been done to death, some gags you see coming, and it's got more than it's share of schmaltz. But damn it, it's actually funny.

Take that Grown Ups 2.

The story is, to put it mildly, contrived. David (Jason Sudeikis) is a small-time pot dealer. Rose (Jennifer Aniston) is a stripper. Kenny (Will Poulter, who was in the excellent Son Of Rambow) is a bit of a dork. Casey (Emma Roberts) is a spikey tear-away.

Casey gets in a scrap, Kenny tries to help, David steps in, David ends up getting mugged and losing all his drugs and money. David gets offered an 'out' by his boss - pop to Mexico and bring back a bit of the green stuff. But how to get over the border without arousing suspicion?

Simple, get yourself a quick family - a wife, son and daughter, should do it - and all will be well. Of course. Cue road trip, confusion, bonding gone bad, car crashes - basically every trick in the book.

Sure, it's not high-brow. Sure, it's not original - but (like this summer's other surprise, The Heat) it has a lot going for it.

For a start, the performances are brilliant. Aniston may make some dubious film choices (a lot of critics will have this among them), but the girl can do comedy. There's a reason why she's the one from Friends who still has a film career. Likewise Sudeikis hasn't always made the best films (Horrible Bosses was dreadful), but he's funny.

And the supporting cast are great as well, with Daily Show/The Office legend Ed Helms being a great drug overlord and Parks & Recreation's Nick Offerman wonderfully straight-faced as bedlam ensues and ears are violated.

Because, essentially, all you really want in a comedy is, well, comedy. Laughs. Jokes about skateboards that don't look like skateboards. Off-colour gags about teaching a boy how to kiss. Spider bites in unfortunate places. Idiots with tattoos. It's all good stuff.

But what really makes We're The Millers work is the fact you get to like the characters.

Sure, you know how it's going to end up, but the people involved are well-drawn, the dialogue is natural (OK, the odd bit of swearing is out of place, but not much), and everyone is essentially nice. And those that aren't have bad stuff happen to them. So that's all good.

Critics will have kicked this one around, and yes it's a bit long, and your concentration can wander a bit in the final third, but - dammit - it's funny!

And it's a genuine ensemble piece. Each Miller is given time to shine, and all do it with aplomb. Roberts has some real comedy chops, while Poulter is showing that Son Of Rambow wasn't a fluke. He's funny.

I do have one major gripe with the film, though, and it's huge. It's the scene where Aniston has to do a dance to try and get them out of trouble.

It's not the fact she's bouncing about in her pants for no other reason than she looks good (she's a big enough star to have said no), it's not the fact it's so OTT some might take it seriously (they will), it's what they do to Aerosmith's song, Sweet Emotion.

It's been edited.

Badly edited.

I mean to the point it sounds like it jumps edited.

And you don't do that to the Bad Boys Of Boston. You just don't. Especially not with Sweet Emotion. That's sacred ground. Leave it alone. Either pick a shorter song or have Jen dance to the whole thing - either's good. Don't get busy with the digital chopping gizmos.

You've been warned.

Still, if THAT is the the only thing that annoyed me about it, I think we can agree this film has done what it set out to do.

Oh, and here's how it should sound: