The Night Before - B-

Rated R, 101 minutes

The likable, profane and utterly silly "The Night Before" is hardly revelatory in terms of laughs and is a bit all over the place, though it does create a new sub genre: the lewd stoner Christmas comedy, though in fact that's hardly surprising given its makers. If you need to break away from the holiday stuffing and stuffiness, then "The Night Before" is for you. Fourteen years ago, Ethan's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) parents passed away on Christmas Eve. His two best friends, Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie), have been with him in support on this night by having an annual tradition of going out on Christmas Eve. However, because Isaac is going to be a father and Chris has become famous, all three decide to have one last Christmas Eve out in New York City. Directed by Jonathan Levine, who directed Gordon-Levitt and Rogen in "50/50" and co-written by Levine, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir, raunchy holiday-themed "The Night Before" is definitely a bro comedy that will appeal mostly to bros. This dumb stuff is hardly a surprise coming from Rogen and company - it's essentially "Pineapple Express" with a Santa cap: there's an exceeding amount of drugs, and even James Franco cameos again riffing on his supposed gay persona, but it's mostly an enjoyable, if not uneven and inconsistent, comedy about the value of friendship and maturity.  The three charming leads have a believable chemistry together that works most of the time, and while a drug-fueled Rogen steals most of the scenes, Gordon-Levitt grounds the film well and has the movie's most charming scene: a "Wrecking Balls" duet with Miley Cyrus in an attempt to woo his girl (Lizzy Caplan). Unsurprisingly, this works much better as a straight stoner holiday-themed film, with some of the "It's A Wonderful Life"-esque touches lacking inspiration and giving it a predictable sheen, even though character actor Michael Shannon ("Freeheld") is a hoot as the Clarence-inspired drug dealer. Not everything about the crude but enjoyable "The Night Before" works perfectly, but a few more sips of the egg nog will help just about anything go down easier.