From left, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), Danny (Paul Rudd), Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and Ronnie (Bobbe J. Thompson) suffer through a mentorship meeting in the film Role Models. (Universal Pictures)

Profane yet sweet, Role Models feels like it could have rolled off the Judd Apatow assembly line — but it didn’t. The modern king of film comedy receives nary a writing, directing or catering credit here. Still, with that now-standard mix of pottymouth humour and sentimentality, not to mention the presence of three Apatow acting alumni — Paul Rudd (Anchorman, Knocked Up), Elizabeth Banks (The 40 Year-Old Virgin) and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (the uber-nerd McLovin’ in Superbad) — things do seem a tad familiar here.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Although Role Models isn’t stunningly ambitious or original, it delivers the funny in a crisp, efficient fashion. Rudd plays Danny, a misanthrope who loathes his job, which entails traveling around local high schools, delivering half-hearted anti-drug lectures and peddling an energy drink called Minotaur. (Company slogan: "Taste the Beast.") After getting dumped by his lawyer girlfriend (Banks), Danny binges on the sickly green substance. It is in this overcaffeinated state that the agitated sales rep and his work partner/best pal, Wheeler (Seann William Scott), crash their pimped-out company vehicle.

As a result, they’re each forced to do 150 hours of community service in a mentorship program at a Big Brothers/Sisters-type organization called Sturdy Wings. Danny is paired up with the pale Augie (Mintz-Plaase), a full-on teenage geek who loves role-playing fantasy games and wonders why people say he looks like a "young Marvin Hamlisch." Wheeler has to spend his time with Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), a deliriously foul-mouthed prepubescent that no previous mentor has been able to tolerate for more than a day.

It’s not high-concept comedy, but it works, thanks largely to uniformly solid performances. Rudd’s delivery, as usual, is drier than the Mojave desert. A scene in which he eviscerates a barista over coffee nomenclature is hilarious, but also so snide that it’s almost painful to watch. As the crude, supremely confident Wheeler, Scott plays a gentler version of Stifler, his breakthrough role in American Pie. The film achieves total liftoff whenever Scott and his young charge Thompson share the screen. Their chilly relationship thaws when the maturity-challenged Wheeler delivers a jaw-droppingly inappropriate — yet precise — explanation of the classic KISS tune Love Gun. The 12-year-old Thompson is a revelation, and should be on speed dial in case anyone ever decides to shoot a Richard Pryor biopic. Mintz-Plaase is also fine as the social outcast, but given his voice and overall look, it’ll be difficult for him to avoid being typecast in the future as dweeb variations of McLovin’.

Wheeler (left, in costume) and Danny do their schtick in an attempt to promote an energy drink called Minotaur. (Universal Pictures)

Jane Lynch, a charter member of Christopher Guest’s faux-documentary rep company, has a smaller role as the paranoid, passive-aggressive founder of Sturdy Wings; it’s a deliciously snarky take on the selfishness of some "charitable" people. As well, Ken Jeong and Joe Le Truglio are perfect playing two middle-aged men who take the game "Laire" (clearly inspired by Dungeons and Dragons) way too seriously.

Director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer) co-wrote the nicely paced script with two of his fellow members from the comedy troupe The State and Rudd. It’s sharp, full of savvy pop culture references. Although the tone softens later on, it doesn’t get too gooey. At 99 minutes, Role Models doesn’t overstay its welcome, which is more than can be said for some of Judd Apatow’s recent productions.

Greig Dymond writes about the arts for CBCNews.ca.