It’s been 13 years since Bobby and Peter Farrelly made “There’s Something About Mary,” the comedy that cemented the brothers as promising filmmakers.

Since that film it’s been a steady stream of misfires and the brothers have been surpassed by the likes of directors Todd Phillips and Judd Apatow.

Now comes the Farrellys’ latest comedy, “Hall Pass,” a film that takes a rather convoluted premise and stretches it into a slightly entertaining comedy. With the help of a rock-steady cast, some truly laugh-out-loud moments and a surprisingly soft center, this is easily the best film by the Farrellys since “Mary.”

In “Hall Pass,” Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play Rick and Fred, a pair of happily married men who also can’t help but look at other women and wonder “what if?”

That becomes a reality when, fed up with their lusty ways, Rick and Fred’s wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) give them a “hall pass” – one week off from marriage with no consequences for any of their actions.

The men see this as a chance to sow their wild oats and set out on a quest to have as much sex as possible – only to realize that maybe the hall pass isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be.

I was surprised by how well the premise actually plays out, with a pretty smart setup.

Wilson and Sudeikis have solid chemistry together, with Sudeikis getting some of the film’s bigger laughs, but Applegate and Fischer are also very interesting – and provide this testosterone-driven comedy some nice counterbalance.

There is also a good extended cameo by the reliable Richard Jenkins as an aging bachelor who seems to know everything about picking up women.

“Hall Pass” does stall a little bit in the middle third, trying to buy time before it fades into a predictable finale, and some of the gross-out moments fall flat. Still, I found myself laughing more than I winced and I was also surprised at how the film managed to balance a sweet center with a rather raunchy exterior.

This is far from a perfect comedy, but it is one that is just good enough. Farrelly fans (if there are any left) should be pleased and anyone else looking for a few laughs will be pleasantly surprised.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is “Megamind” (B), the latest animated feature from Dreamworks that gets by largely on the shoulders of Will Ferrell’s tremendous talents.

Ferrell voices Megamind, a supervillain locked in a lifelong battle with superhero Metro Man (Brad Pitt).

When Megamind finally gets the best of his nemesis, Megamind takes over Metro City but quickly becomes bored with his newfound power. So Megamind sets out to create a new superhero to fight, only to create a villain more powerful than himself.

From Ferrell to Pitt to Tina Fey and Jonah Hill, there is plenty of star power in “Megamind” to boost the entertainment factor. Ferrell fares best with a role that really plays to his improv skills. He makes the character a fun and likable lug – even when he gets soft in the film’s final act.

The screenplay itself is kind of hit and miss. I enjoyed the aspect of what happens when the villain wins and Metro Man’s ultimate demise leads to a couple of clever moments, but the final conflict seems like an afterthought, despite the best efforts of all involved.

Still, Ferrell has so much fun that it rubs off and manages to work. It’s not quite on the level of Pixar films or “Shrek,” but it is still good enough – a worthy family film for the holiday season.

“Megamind” is rated PG for action and some language and will be available Friday on DVD.

— To get sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton’s up-to-the minute thoughts on all things movies, visit his blog at mcompton.wordpress.com or his Twitter page at twitter.com/mcompton428. You can also e-mail him at mcompton@bgdailynews.com.