Movie Review: The Promotion

Two of today’s most appealing comics lock horns as a couple of bumbling employees trying to win a coveted managerial position. Ho hum describes the activities of the personnel at Donaldson’s, a grocery chain with a host of difficulties. Current store staffer Doug Stauber has been at one store for a number of years and seems ready to land the manager position at a soon to be opened retail outlet. Odds are good for the promotion as his boss Scott has indicated.
Bad news travels fast and the arrival of a newly minted employee to join Donaldson’s staff puts a sort of wrench in Doug’s plan. Enter Richard Welhner, fresh off the boat from Canada, of all places. Now Canadians are considered a nice class of people so at first these two colleagues are friends. Time can change things and when it appears that Richard may in fact have the inside track to the new post the gloves come off.
Childish rivalry characterizes these two grown men who pull out all the stops to derail the others chances. Left in the dust are the women in these men’s lives. Part of the fun in this film comes by way of the supporting cast who each have their own unique idiosyncrasies that border on the insane.
Director Steve Conrad is blessed, yes blessed, with some stellar stars but somehow the story just doesn’t quite connect. Always likeable Sean William Scott (Mr. Woodcock) and John C. Reilly (Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby) are proven leading man and have easily carried films on their own. Here they’re lacking a good script which is not quite full fledged comedy or black comedy. More jokes would have really enhanced this movie.
A good supporting cast somewhat salvages these two talents.