“Never sneak up on a man who’s been in a chemical fire.”
Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg) is an incredibly naive and completely unskilled amateur stuntman living in a small town.
He wears a fake moustache for “respect” and is deeply devoted to the memory of his deceased biological father, whom Rod wrongly believes was a legendary stunt driver for Evel Knievel.
Rod is constantly humiliated and physically bested in backyard sparring matches by his abusive, hyper-masculine stepfather, Frank (Ian McShane), and Rod’s life goal is to earn Frank’s respect by defeating him in a fight.
Frank suddenly falls severely ill with a heart condition and needs a $50,000 heart transplant to survive.
When Frank tells Rod he will die without the surgery, Rod realises he can’t let Frank die until he gets a chance to beat him up and prove his manhood.
To raise the money, Rod enlists his loyal, equally oddball childhood friends – his stepbrother Kevin (Jorma Taccone), the hyperactive tech-guy Dave (Bill Hader), the erratic ramp-builder Jerry, and Rod’s longtime crush, Denise (Isla Fisher).
Rod plans a massively public, high-profile stunt: jumping 15 school buses on a moped.
He starts performing bizarre, low-budget neighbourhood stunts and filming commercial ads to win corporate sponsorships and build hype. As the jump approaches, tension builds.
Rod discovers that his biological father wasn’t a stuntman at all, but a simple test driver.
Crushed by the lie and facing a disastrous, fiery rehearsal failure, Rod quits stunts and disbands the crew, leaving Frank’s fate hanging in the balance.
After an epic, dramatic public meltdown (including a famously long stumble down a mountain), Rod’s friends rally around him.
Kevin reveals that through broadcast royalties and local support, they have reached their fundraising goal.
The jump is back on.
In front of a massive, stadium-sized crowd, Rod speeds down an enormous ramp on his moped. He successfully clears all 15 school buses but violently crashes on landing, shattering his moped and knocking himself unconscious.
He wakes up to a cheering crowd. The event is a massive financial success, and the money is delivered to the hospital.
Six months later, a fully recovered Frank enters the backyard for another fight.
This time, Rod finally lands a punch and defeats Frank, earning his stepfather’s genuine, hard-won respect.
The film was written by ‘the Lonely Island’ – a comedy trio comprising Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone who found fame on Saturday Night Live.
Rod Kimble
Andy Samberg Kevin Powell
Jorma Taccone Dave
Bill Hader Rico
Danny McBride Denise
Isla Fisher Marie Powell
Sissy Spacek Frank Powell
Ian McShane Jonathan
Will Arnett Barry Pasternack
Chris Parnell Richardson
Chester Tam Maggie
Brittany Tiplady Cathy
Britt Irvin Sullivan
Andrew Moxham Taco
Aaron Au Grilled Cheese
Brett Chan Scrooge
John Burnside
Director
Akiva Schaffer
Video
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Rod is constantly humiliated and physically bested in backyard sparring matches by his abusive, hyper-masculine stepfather, Frank (Ian McShane), and Rod’s life goal is to earn Frank’s respect by defeating him in a fight.
After an epic, dramatic public meltdown (including a famously long stumble down a mountain), Rod’s friends rally around him.
He wakes up to a cheering crowd. The event is a massive financial success, and the money is delivered to the hospital.
