Observe and Report Directed by: Jody Hill Cast: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta Running Time: 1 hr 30 mins Rating: R
Plot: A bipolar mall cop (Rogen) strives to become a police officer while also pursuing a flasher and a thief.
Who’s It For? The appeal of Seth Rogen has always been coed. But this particular film might be his biggest challenge to all of his devoted followers.
Expectations: Early buzz from SXSW said this was a "dark version of Paul Blart: Mall Cop." Now what the h-e-double hockey-sticks could that mean?
SCORECARD (0-10)
Actors:
Seth Rogen as Ronnie Barnhardt: That big kid in high school with the buzzcut and mental issues that kind of scared us? He grew up to be a security officer at the local mall. But Rogen pulls off this semi-sympathetic without letting go completely of the "sym." It could be his familiar face, or it could actually be a decent performance. This bipolar character is reminiscent of all the ugly sides of Rogen's past roles - except his craziness has now reached its peak. What this guy isn't, however, is lazy. Barnhardt's life-or-death dedication to the mall is anything but the slacking Rogen has done before. Score: 6
Anna Faris as Brandi: With a lot of other actresses, Brandi would be a wasted archetype, were it not for Faris' professionalism as the dumb blonde. She amusedly plays up her idiocy while contributing to the blondes' knockdown to the bottom of the hair color hierarchy (sorry, mom). Score: 5
Michael Pena as Dennis: Every character in this film is ugly, with some feature of their existence exaggerated for comedic effect. Dennis is a prime example. His lisp and jheri curls are amusing, but struggle to reach a level of funny beyond that. Score: 4
Ray Liotta as Detective Harrison: Liotta is starting to look like the Grim Reaper's Grim Reaper, but at least he still shouts in the sweet, flowery way we'll always remember him for. However, his appearance as the "cocky" Detective puts him on the road to recovery, gaining reasonable distance from plague-like disasters like In The Name Of The King and Wild Hogs. Score: 4
Talking: A movie as filthy as Observe and Report should be expected to have the mouth that it does. The script has a whole arsenal of F-bombs, and it drops them in probably every dialogue exchange - at the least, in every scene. But with the right delivery, it's amazing how the same four letters can still make us laugh. When Report's humor does not involve someone getting beaten to near death, it dedicates its heart and mind to obscene language. Score: 7
Sights: Just like the credit sequence that kicked off director Jody Hill's The Foot Fist Way, this film begins with a slow motion introduction that must have been inspired by repeated viewings of The Big Lebowski. More important is the film's nudity. With movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, it seems that male frontal nudity is becoming less of a challenge to the MPAA. Gleefully, this film grabs the torch leading this movement and touts its cojones in an epic moment (not in the beginning) that's certainly funny - once you recover from how disturbing it is, of course. Score: 5
Sounds: The soundtrack uses an appealing collection of songs that span from classic, easy going rock (The Band) to punk (Mclusky). It should be reported that Observe has the absolute best usage of the track "Where Is My Mind" since it was first made popular by the last scene of Fight Club. Oddly, this film doesn't use the original version by The Pixies but an updated one by a band called City Wolf. Score: 8
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: The "final showdown" defines the tone of the film. It's a moment that is very shocking and even more so crude. It's also probably the biggest laugh Observe offers.
Ending: In a dreary world just like that of Observe and Report, a film like this would get a sequel. Let's hope that Jody Hill tries to come up with something else.
Questions: Everyone here is an idiot - I feel like I've stepped into a Coen Brothers movie. Is The Big Lebowski Hill's favorite movie?
Rewatchability: Report has no element that really demands a soon re-view, but overall it wouldn't make for a bad casual re-watch a few months down the line.
OVERALL
"Ugly" seems too fluffy a word to describe Observe and Report. At the same time, "dark" is too serious. With graphic physical comedy and characters that are strictly defective, the film loves to test the black comedy waters. When does a character or event become too strange to be laughed at? Or more specifically ... how disturbed can Ronnie appear before we begin to fear he will actually kill someone? These are the types of questions at the heart of every joke dished out by the film's unique sense of humor. While there may be no exact answer to these questions, there are enough moments of genuine laughter to see Observe as a slightly more than average success.
Final Score: 6/10