Paul Blart, in other words, your a total bitch.
Rent-a-cop Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) is tasked with keeping the peace at the Forest Ridge Mall, but when a flasher strikes, Ronnie has no gun — and no power to stop the exhibitionist. A rivalry ensues when the police send in Det. Harrison (Ray Liotta) to crack the case. Can Ronnie bring the flasher to justice before the well-armed Harrison does? Also, Anna Faris stars as Brandi, Ronnie’s main love, that he tries to protect.
I remember back in Easter of last year when I was going to go and give this film a try, howveer, one thing lead to another and I just didn’t and watched as all these reviews saying how bad it was come out, and then I just lost interest. So, I was going into this with nothing in mind, other than a bangin’ review from Aiden.
I have never given director Jody Hill‘s other film, The Foot Fist Way, a try. I never really have had any connection with Jody Hill, but just to see this film as dark, and brutal as it was made this a crazy ass trip.
The jokes in this film are dark, and pretty agressive, while trying not to forget disturbing, but somehow they all work. In my opinion comedy should have no borders, and that is what this film does, streches those borders, but to much avail. There are plenty of crazy scenes such as watching these mall cops, go shoot heroin, and snort cocaine, then beat up a bunch of 13-year old skateborders. All of this was pretty nuckin’ futs, but it wasn’t like I was offended by it all, cause I was too busy laughing.
Excuse me my fellow readers, but I need to apologize for this next paragraph, for it is mostly a rant on other people talking about this film, rather than the film itself. The thing that pisses me off so hella bad is this whole date rape argument, some people are totally offended while others don’t give it a second thought. I believe comedy should have no borders, if you say it’s not OK to make fun of one thing, then how dare you make a joke about something else. People are makeing it sound like the big thing here is that they crack a joke at date rape, yet nobody bats an eye when you see Seth Rogan’s mom falling down drunk, and nobody gave two shits when they see Ronnie snort a line of cocaine, and then go beat up several teenagers. So why freak out on a joke that is like 5 seconds long. I understand for some women this is a horrifying reality, and I understand, and I feel for you, yet in that same fact I don’t think they should take that scene out. Anyone who sees this film and says that it was rape is crazy. Sometimes, people just don’ understand what a film is trying to do.
The best thing teh film has going for it is indeed Seth Rogen, who plays Ronnie Barnhardt. Ronnie is bi-polar, and at first the movie starts out as showing him, as this pathetic delusional person, that thinks that his job is so sweet, he acts like he can beat every mofo on the planet. He plays out like a 21st Century Rupert Pupkin, or Travis Bickle for that matter. Just like both of them, we feel sorry for this guy and can’t take him seriously, that is until he starts messin’ shit up, and then we just love every moment with him on the screen, cause he is that guy we want to watch beat some ass.
Seth Rogen balances his brute of a character with equal amounts of both violent and at times sweet tendencies. Ronnie is just the big lovable fuck up. He is the kind of guy you can’t stay mad at. He is extreamly violent, yet he can be extreamly gentle and caring, as in the way we see him put a blanket over his mother who is passed out on the floor, while whispering “Love you mom”. The other people from the cast are great too: Michael Peña as Rogen’s side-kick (nice to see a departure from all his dramatic movies), Ray Liotta as that son-of-a-bitch cop we all know him for, and the funniest of all, Anna Faris who plays that dumb-girl role, like no other.
The reason I’m giving the film the rating I’am is cause this is not a film that is for every one. It is dirty, raunchy, disturbing, and mean, which will probably make you hate it, if you have a good heart. But the film for me was hilarious, and also very successful with making us love the tragic character, Ronnie, and all the crazy shit he does.
8.5/10=Matinee!!!
Sorry for that one rant folks. I’ll cut it down to two-sentenceas next time.
Dan the Man's Movie Reviews 
This one was trashed unfairly when it came out. It wasn’t going to be Superbad, it was as Rogen said during production a Taxi Driver style black comedy.
Exactly dude. It was trashed so much when it first came out, once everybody gets a touch of this, it could possibly be the next Step Brothers. Maybe, that’s asking for a bit too much.
I really hated this movie, not because of it’s material or how dark the comedy was or whatever, but because it served no purpose and since I didn’t find it that funny it failed on all counts. It’s too willing to go all the way over-the-top when true black comedy is subtle and used to “rip the rug out from under the viewers” with irony: making them thing one thing and then revealing something else totally different. This film seems to be dark just for the sake of dark and without that subtly it fails to deliver anything meaningful. I think the Hill’s first movie Foot Fist Way was (a little) better at presenting this type of character in such a light.
Yeah, I see what you’re saying in a way. The fact is that for some it was horrendous, and some it was hilarious. But I do see the point about it not being a dark comedy. Good points there my brotha!
It was supposed to be a satire of the ‘American Hero’ and consumer culture. I just don’t think it got through to people.
The one scene I keep thinking about is that “Fuck you” screaming/whispering match between Ronnie and Aziz Ansari. Absolutely hilarious. Good review, man. I should watch this again.
Yeah dude that scene had me going so much. I think you have to give it another view just for shits and gigs.
I agree with Mike that on the whole the calculated darkness rubbed me the wrong way. Having seen — and halfway enjoyed — “The Foot Fist Way” I’m getting the idea that Jody Hill has some issues with women (no, I’m not talking about the “rape scene”).
However, I concede that Ronnie’s verbal joust with Aziz Ansari was hysterical.
“Why would I blow up Chick-fil-A? That sh*t’s delicious!”
I actually am with you and found it funny? A comedic masterpiece? Hell no, but it didn’t deserve the bad rap it got. I went in with no clue it was going to be so dark and effed up, so I was shocked. Nonetheless I laughed my arse off at points, and the shock humor did it’s trick more than not.
The “rape” scene? There are soapboxes everywhere and everybody has their own blogs or opinions to state them. And by the stars people like to make mountains with them.
I really enjoyed this film. It’s not a typical comedy that Seth Rogen is in and I really felt that it was promoted horribly and was very misleading (just like Adventureland).