Right now, Andy Samberg and Terry Crews seem to be joined at the hip, and honestly? It suits them.
“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” is one of the few shows this year that I was willing to add to my rotation based on the pilot, and I like the extended ensemble they put together for the show. Samberg is one of those guys who is at his best when he’s not straining, and the best way to make him comfortable is to surround him with equally funny co-stars. Crews has long been an asset to any comedy that hires him, but when you look at him, the first impression is that this is a guy who should be making giant action films.
Sitting down with the two of them to discuss “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2,” in which Crews steps in for Mr. T to voice security-guard-and-overprotective-dad Earl Devereaux, it was obvious that they have a very real and relaxed chemistry. Samberg worked on the first one and is returning to the role of Brent McHale here, a strange man-baby who was the mascot of Baby Brent Sardines for most of his life. They are both outrageous roles, but Samberg and Crews still have to find something identifiable and human about them to play, and we discussed that process.
I’m also surprised, given how much of the comedy is fast-paced verbal wordplay, that they didn’t record the cast together at all. It’s a testament to the filmmakers that they were able to make it all feel as organic as they did. I’m of mixed mind about how voices are recorded in animation, and I think when you can record people together, it helps. I know the technical reasons they don’t, and I certainly think you can make a great animated film without doing it, but especially in comedy, so much of what I think is funny is what happens between people, and not just in what they say.
Whatever the case, I’m hoping “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” builds off of a strong start to become a really good series, and I once again find myself pleasantly surprised by just how silly a “Cloudy” film can be.
“Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2” opens Friday.