Dane Cook may be known for his outrageous stand-up comedy however, he has been in more than 25 movies and TV shows. “Employee of the Month,” Cook’s first leading role opened today. This movie adds to the buzz of the tabloid rumors of romance with co-star Jessica Simpson.
The setting for “Employee of the Month” is a grocery store named Super Club. There is a daily competition to be Employee of the Day and whoever wins this title 18 days in a row becomes Employee of the Month. To win Simpson’s character, Amy, Zack (Dane Cook) and Vince (Dax Shepard) work harder than they ever have at cleaning, putting parts together and being an overall great employee. Vince is the Super Club employee who gives backrubs to his manager in his office and Zack hangs out with his co-workers in a lounge with a poker table and couches they made in a storage rack in aisle 9.
Simpson’s acting is to be expected — cheesy and under-rehearsed. The title “Employee of the Month” has been all over campus the last few weeks and the rumored romance between the lead actors may be why.
Supporting actors Andy Dick, Efren Ramirez and Harland Williams make each scene funny. There is slapstick when Zack gets leveled by a crate lift in the middle of a foot-race with Vince. Fans of Cook’s stand-up will appreciate this.
With more than 25 movies under his belt, Cook’s acting skills seemed finely tuned, with a touch of his famous stand-up comedy. Cook gained some popularity for “Waiting” and this movie is another way for him to entertain his fans. His national stand-up tour also benefited from the hype of “Employee of the Month.” Simpson, however has not worked on any other films, the only recent work that might be recognized is “Dukes of Hazard”. Simpson and “Dukes” co-star Johnny Knoxville were reported to have had a relationship during filming as well, according to the tabloids.
Don Calame and Chris Conroy were the screenplay writers, both only having directed one other film — “Hounded.” The script need not to be drawn out for these comedians. Cook, Dick and William’s are known for their humor in other films on their resume’s such as “Half Baked,” “Old School” and “The Whole Nine Yards”.
His hard work at Super Club pays off when Amy begins to notice him. “Whoever has the fastest ring rate, wins it all,” the manager yells. In the tie-breaker scene an arena is set up for a race of the grocery-swipers. Inside the grocery store neon Super Club signs are lit up, intense music plays, and all the employees gather around, including Amy, to watch the two compete to win the “ring-off.” The winner will get the Employee of the Month title and a “brand newish Malibu.”
Cook fans will love this movie. Anyone who has worked in a grocery store will also relate to the Super Club humor. Simpson fans will see the same performance as seen in “Dukes of Hazard”, just mediocre. Overall, “Employee of the Month” is a laugh-a-minute; Cook will not let you down.
