Despite the technological whirlwinds that have buffeted and reshaped the pop-music world in recent years, ego and excess never go out of style. Both are lampooned to intermittently hilarious effect in "Get Him to the Greek," a Judd Apatow-produced comedy that doesn't break from his tried-and-true raunch-to-romance approach but manages to find some laughs along the way.

"Greek," directed by Nicholas Stoller, actually has its roots in Stoller's last film, the 2008 comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," another Apatow-related project, where viewers were introduced to the character of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). He was a pompous, preening British rock star who was equal part poor man's Rod Stewart and a brain-dead Bono. In other words, he was cursed with all of the attitude and arrogance and none of the talent.

In "Greek," he's a couple of years past the heady days we saw in "Marshall" and now he's licking the wounds from the backlash he received for his charity project, African Child, which the press savaged as the worst thing to hit Africa since apartheid.

But the president of a troubled American record company - the increasingly desperate and despotic Sergio (Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who displays a surprising deftness for comedy) - is convinced by his nebbishy underling, Aaron (Jonah Hill), that a Snow comeback could be just the ticket to bring his bottom line back to the top. So, Aaron is sent to London - much to the consternation of his girlfriend (Elisabeth Moss, TV's "Mad Men") - to convince Snow to come to Los Angeles for a return-to-stardom gig at the famous Greek Theater. Of course, Snow is not particularly willing.

While "Greek" goes on too long and some of the jokes will strike some as willfully obscure - a gag about the band The Mars Volta is funny but, really, how many are going to get that? - there are other moments that transcend musical taste and knowledge.

If nothing else, playing spot-the-cameo - Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Pink, Mario Lopez, Christina Aguilera, Kurt Loder, Aziz Ansari, Kristen Bell, Rick Schroeder, Pharrell Williams, Meredith Vieira all breeze through - gives you something to do between laughs.

GET HIM TO THE GREEK

3 stars (out of 5)

Starring: Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss, Rose Byrne

Directed by: Nicholas Stoller

R (strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language); 109 min.