Observe and Report is barely the film its trailers depict it to be. It’s also nothing similar to Seth Rogen’s previous movies.
Director Jody Hill’s exploration of the darker side of comedy, Observe and Report should be watched with an open mind – really open. When one enters the movie expecting a bellyful of laughs, the cringing violence and rampant drug abuse leaves a sour taste instead.
Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen) takes on his responsibilities as the head of security at the local mall with a little too much gusto. Besides bullying the skater kids in the parking lot and haranguing dark-skinned kiosk owners, his life is pretty lame – until a chubby roaming flasher in the standard pervert-issued tan trench coat lets the customers get a full frontal view in the parking lot.
When a store in the mall gets robbed and trashed a few days later, Ronnie sees both offenses as his big chance to do something great in his life.
The elements are all present for a decent movie at best. Anna Faris plays Brandi, a bimbo behind a cosmetics counter, a role Faris has perfected through appearances in Lost in Translation and Waiting… And everyone loves to hate Ray Liotta, especially as the low-tolerance detective Harrison. Observe and Report also delivers a couple of laugh-out-lines.
Yet these elements are all supporting characters to the real leads: violence, mental deficiencies, delusions of grandeur and even date rape. Not quite the typical gags Hollywood tends to churn out.
It’s easy to weave the thread through Hill’s three character creations so far: Foot Fists’ Fred Simmons, Eastbound‘s Kenny Powers (both played by Danny McBride) and Rogen’s Ronnie. The characters are each, a taekwondo instructor, a former baseball star and a mall cop, respectively. All three think they are worth more than they really are.
In ‘Eastbound,’ it’s Powers’ ego that causes his downfall. In Report, it’s Ronnie’s bipolar disorder. But while it’s fun to make fun of such an over-the-top sense of importance Powers’ has, it’s less so to rag on an illness that causes the main character to break skateboards over a kid’s back and go on drug binges for the hell of it.
There are some qualities that are worth noting, even if they don’t exactly redeem the movie. Seeing Seth Rogen take on a role like Ronnie Barnhardt, although sometimes hard to watch, is a relief from the self-imposed typecast he’s made of himself in movies such as The 40-year-old Virgin and Knocked Up. He shows range and his ability to stand on his own without a great supporting cast with which to exchange improvised one-liners.
It’s also good to know Hollywood can put out a movie, even on Easter weekend, that isn’t afraid to offend.
But that’s about it. By the end of the movie you’ll be pining for that great supporting cast for the one-liners and you’ll yearn for the old Seth Rogen.
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