Wick's Review

Summary - Very Good 3.5

The Interview caused a commotion last year by triggering the first cyber-terrorism jolt to the real world. Kim Jong-un didn’t take kindly to being lampooned in a ribald American comedy, pop culture fan though he may be. Fortunately he didn’t try to lob a nuclear warhead into San Francisco, instead threatening to kill any American who went to see the movie. Oh yeah Mudda Sucka, now it’s on! Now you got us hella mad.

Wait, it didn’t end up that way? Sony caved? The Obama Administration ducked? America fell for it?

Underneath the hullabaloo was a movie, a very good one as it turns out. First of all, it’s actually about something, something important. A 3rd Gen dictator who may have a nuclear missile that can hit San Jose is something, even more so when he’s a wanton killer who puts his people in concentration camps and has them eating straw. That’s worth turning into satire, at the least. Fight the power however you can. Got it?!!!

The interview is effective satire, it’s just not very funny. Yes, there are some LOLs in it. I counted three: 1, 2, 3. Yet Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen’s bigger problem is that their leads aren’t remotely likable, James Franco’s self-absorbed talkshow star most of all. Thus the comedy goes from the awkward to the painful.

Funny yes, LOL not so much. About something important, yes. Crude, rude and raunchy, absolutely.

Worth viewing? Yes actually. Worth dying to defend? Damn, that First Amendment sure is heavy at times.

Acting - Good 3.0

James Franco plays a media slut named Dave Skylark, star of a sleazy talkshow called SkylarkTonight. Unfortunately his performance is more cringe-worthy than laugh-worthy. Amoral freeloaders are that way.

Seth Rogen is a natural as a once real newsman who has found mammon producing crappy celebrity sleaze.

Supporters

• Lizzy Caplan is super-sexy in one scene and then not so much thereafter. May be a wardrobe thing.
• It falls to Randall Park to essay Kim Jong-un. He does well, as good-guy partier and crazy dictator.
• Diana Bang as a sexy North Korean officer with a wild side
• Timothy Simons as a Yes Man.

Cameos

• Eminem comes out: Sure, and James Franco is the second coming of Jack Lemmon.
• Rob Lowe is a good sport.
• Bill Maher, Seth Meyers, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Schwartz, Brian Williams, and Scott Pelley
• Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Emma Stone, Zac Efron & Guy Fieri in the Skylark Tonight promo.

The Iggy Azalea & Nicki Minaj video nearby isn’t in the theatrical cut of the movie. Enjoy.
Nicki Minaj is spectacular.

Film - Very Good 3.5

Kudos to Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen for taking on the genocidal dictator of North Korea.
If only their film was either funnier or less cringe-worthy.

It’s animating philosophy is popularity über-alles. That loses its charm pretty darn quick.

There are LOLs, three of them. A tiger triggers the first, “secure the package” the second.

Edge - Sordid 3.2

Erotic, Brutal & Nasty is how a Hard R comedy earns its Sordid level of edginess.

Reality - Surreal 2.5

Deeply Surreal.

Movie fakery aside, there’s lots to comment on regarding the underlying reality, just not here and now.

1 Comment

• Wick Dec 26, 2014 4:35PM

  Regarding BrianSez’s Review
  Public Service, this review

• Feed
• Movies
• ViewLists
• NewOnDemand