'Role Models' (R) (out of four)

"Role Models" is one of those films that could be classified as a buddy movie, but it's also one of the new genres of comedies that gets its laughs from crude humor, lots of swearing and plenty of talk about sex and women's breasts. But what did you expect? The movie puts Seann William Scott front and center, and he's the guy who made "American Pie's" Stiffler a household name.

It's co-star Paul Rudd's movie, however, and he actually had a hand in writing "Role Models."

Rudd plays Danny and Scott is Wheeler, regular-enough guys who drive around in a monster truck selling an energy drink called Minotaur. Wheeler plays the mascot Minotaur complete with furry half-man, half-beast suit, while Danny is the spokesman. Their day's work is spent driving around to schools telling kids to stay off drugs and that it's better to consume the caffeine-laced energy drink en masse instead.

As the title reflects, the guys are not particularly the best role models. Wheeler's pastime is partying and picking up chicks, while Danny spends his time ruminating over how pitiful his life is and wondering why he's peddling energy drinks.

One day when his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) dumps him and he's lauded at a karaoke party celebrating his 10 years with Minotaur, Danny's decided he's had enough. He decides instead of preaching about drugs and Minotaur at the next school, he's going to tell kids what life is really like. He downs one too many Minotaurs, and in a fit of rage, he ends up almost running over a police officer, trashing the monster truck and about to serve jail time. Wheeler is charged as his accessory.

Luckily, Danny's ex-girlfriend is a lawyer and is able to wheel a deal for the two to serve time instead at a place called Sturdy Wings, run by a clean and sober former drug addict and alcoholic, played with passive-aggressive nonsensibility by the always funny Jane Lynch. Sturdy Wings is a Big Brother-Big Sister type program where "Bigs" are matched with "Littles."

Wheeler's "Little" is foul-mouthed Ronnie, a 10-year-old obsessed with drawing obscene pictures and saying the word "boobies." He hasn't lasted with a Big more than an hour, but Wheeler is going to be the exception rather than the norm.

Danny gets paired up with Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse of "Superbad" McLovin' fame). Augie is a nerd who has found his place with a group of medieval players who meet each week for fantasy swordplay in a game called Laire.

The film works on many levels, but mostly gets its laughs from the mishaps, miscalculations, misadventures and the dealings of the two guys with Ms. Sturdy Wings. Rudd is his usual, likable self, while Scott still hasn't broken free of his smarmy Stiffler, but that's what we love about him.

This is a buddy movie that isn't always about raunchiness, but a whole lot more. Even the conventional message of even misfits are people, too, works out when it's wrapped up in raunchy, over-the-top comedy.