Grade: C-I apologize for how long it look me to write this review but I’m glad I took the extra time to fully digest Observe and Report and gain some perspective on the experience. If you asked me what I thought of the movie immediately after exiting the theater I may have graded it in the ‘B’ range. I laughed quite a bit throughout, which is usually the mark of a successful comedy. But if you ask me right now, what was funny about it or recite one of the jokes, I’d be hard pressed to give you an answer.
It is that type of easy, forgettable humor that composes the majority of the script. And while on the surface it appears to be another stoner comedy, Jody Hill secretly wants to do more... he just can’t quite pull the trigger. And whenever he attempts to blend genres or insert a moment of personal drama, it comes across as jarring (at best).
Rogen stars as a mall security guard attempting to catch a flasher who has been tormenting women in the parking lot. He is also contending with a series of robberies, a police detective encroaching on his turf, a love interest played by (Anna Faris and his own mental stability.
When Rogen is swearing profusely and beating up skateboarders, the movie works. It’s fast, fun and has a killer soundtrack. When he is wrestling with his bi-polar disorder, tending to his alcoholic mother and being psychologically evaluated, the movie subverts the audience’s expectations but not in a good way. It’s in a horribly awkward, “Is this supposed to be funny? Can I laugh? How long will this scene last?” way.
If done properly, these thematic elements might have elevated Observe and Report above the typical fare. As is, they make it wholly unrewatchable. (I love prefixes almost as much as making up words.)
BOTTOM LINE: Instantly forgettable comedy mixed with misplaced drama make this Seth Rogen vehicle a nonstarter.
