Observe and ReportCast: Seth Rogen
Ronnie Barnhardt, Ray Liotta
Detective Harrison, Michael Pena
Dennis, Anna Faris
Brandi, Collette Wolf
Nell, Jesse Plemons
Charles, John & Matt Yuan
John & Matt Yuen.
Written and Directed by: Jody Hill
Plot Synopsis: THE FOOT FIST WAY director Jody Hill takes the helm for this Seth Rogen comedy concerning an ambitious mall cop who competes with a seasoned detective to bust an elusive flasher. Make a wrong move at Forest Ridge Mall, and you'll have to answer to no-nonsense security head Ronnie Barnhardt (Rogen). Ronnie sees skateboarders as the blight of society, and any shoplifter unfortunate enough to summon his wrath will be promptly busted and booked. Sure, Ronnie may suffer delusions of grandeur when it comes to his job, but perhaps with a little effort he'll eventually get to trade in his flashlight and patch for a gun and a badge. When a flasher begins tormenting the shoppers at Forest Ridge Mall, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his detective skills and impress gorgeous makeup counter girl Brandi (Anna Faris), who can't be bothered to give him a second glance. Perhaps by catching the culprit, Ronnie will finally earn himself a prized position over at the police academy. But the one thing Ronnie hadn't counted on was competition, and when Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) of the Conway Police makes it his personal mission to nab the flasher, the two rivals begin working around the clock to crack the case before their counterpart. (taken from
Amazon.co.uk)
My Thoughts: I went into this film expecting the adult version of Paul Blart Mall Cop. As a dark comedy, Observe and Report is obviously not going to be everyone's cup of tea and as a result has plenty of mixed reviews on Amazon. Seth Rogan plays the part of bipolar Ronnie reasonably well - I felt both empathy and dislike towards him during the course of the film, whilst Anna Faris plays a version of her usual ditzy blonde character.
I feel the movie relies way too heavily on cheap laughs from overuse of bad language, nudity and violence. The "dark humour" elements included Ronnie's alcoholic mother and fellow security officer Dennis' drug use. I'm not one for being easily offended, but personally I thought that the jokes were tired, have been done before and just weren't that funny.
The one laugh-out-loud moment that I can remember is Ronnie and Brandi's drunken sex scene
This was the first time I had seen Jesse Plemons in something other than Friday Night Lights - would have liked if he could have had a larger part.
Maybe I just don't understand dark humour properly, but I don't think this is one I will be watching again in a hurry.
Rating: 2/5
Hope you guys enjoy my first review!
