Cedar Rapids | B+

In Cedar Rapids, Tim Lippe (Ed Helms, The Hangover), a hard-working small-town insurance salesman, gets the chance to fill in for a recently deceased co-worker at a large insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, Ill. Lippe, a man who's never left his hometown and has always fallen short of any real expectations, has to give his co-worker's presentation in order to preserve his insurance company's image.

The humor Lippe provides stems from his naivety, such as unfamiliarity with standard hotel procedures, and constant calling of his teacher (Sigourney Weaver, Avatar) from seventh grade, to whom he thinks he's "pre-engaged." He acts like a cross between a wide-eyed tourist and a timid child. Lippe soon meets his two roommates on the trip, Ronald Wilkes (Isiah Whitlock Jr., The Wire) and Dean Ziegler (John C. Reilly, Step Brothers). Wilkes and Ziegler are almost polar opposites. Wilkes is a hard-working, simple man who doesn't know how to relax, and Ziegler is a hard-drinking, recently divorced party animal. Lippe's boss (Stephen Root, The Men Who Stare at Goats) warns Lippe to stay away from Ziegler, but despite his rowdiness, Ziegler and Lippe form a close friendship. A woman named Joan Ostrowski-Fox (Anne Heche, Spread) completes their posse. In order to win the company's fourth consecutive Double Diamond Award, Lippe must give a one-on-one presentation to its bearer (Kurtwood Smith, RoboCop).

Helms plays the lead role very well, providing plenty of laughs and putting in a solid performance. Reilly nearly steals the show with his loud and appallingly hilarious comments and actions. Every time he's on the screen, you know he's going to do or say something funny. The reserved quality that Whitlock Jr.'s character has adds another comedic ingredient into the mix, as he often delivers lines in a hilarious deadpan style.

Cedar Rapids keeps the audience interested and laughing the entire time and has plenty of quotable lines. Even when the plot appears to take a serious turn, more laughs follow. Simple ideas can go a long way when well-written and acted.

The storyline does a good job of staying linear and on track, and while the plot remains simple, it leads to a quality ending. The characters are put into situations with many comedic possibilities, and the actors go on to use their talents and the screenplay's nuanced dialogue to create simple, but brilliant comedy.

Seeing Cedar Rapids is not a life-altering experience, but it is definitely a well-executed movie that can be viewed with friends time and time again.