Neighbors (2014)

3/5

Neighbors is an astonishingly stupid adult comedy starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron as feuding neighbors. I call it an adult comedy because of the content--which includes plenty of sex, drugs, and profanity--but it is really quite puerile in just about every other way. From uninspired acting to barebones characterization, the movie isn't so much a movie as it is a collection of gag jokes and juvenile pranks shot on screen. It's surprisingly similar in feel and scope to the movie Jackass, but with a little extra fiction added on. Even though it's not the most wholesome movie, the humor works. I was laughing the entire time. I won't say that I'm proud of it, but I certainly enjoyed the very vulgar Neighbors.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2004420/

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

3/5

The Five-Year Engagement is a middle-of-the-road modern-day romantic comedy. The movie starts with Tom (Segel) botching his proposal to Violet (Blunt) one year after they first met, then continues on for the next five years as their wedding gets further and further postponed for various reasons. Things crop up in their lives and they start to doubt that they really are perfect for each other. It has its fair share of quirky side characters, some of whom you love (Kaling, Hart, Posehn) and some of whom you love to hate (Pratt, Ifans). It's got the big fight in the middle--although it does it in a way that makes both leads less likeable--and a terrifically sappy ending to jerk some tears out of your nasolacrimal ducts. The humor is occasionally raunchy to give manly men laughs but is usually simple and clean for the more mainstream viewers. It's formula to a T, and it's entertaining enough. It just isn't exciting enough.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1195478/

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

4/5

Forgetting Sarah Marshall is yet another successful comedy from the Judd Apatow producing team. It's funny, it's smart, it's tender--what more could you want in a movie? Jason Segal announces his presence as a viable leading man: he's a quirky "composer" who gets dumped by his superstar girlfriend Sarah Marshall (Kristen Bell) and goes to Hawaii to get over her. As he soon finds out, he's staying at the same resort as his ex and her new superstar musician love interest Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). He quickly pairs up with Jackie from That 70's Show (Mila Kunis), only she's less annoying and more attractive in this movie.

Now that you know the basic framework and characters, I'm sure you know how it ends. Regardless, how it gets there is a hilarious and unique romp. (And thirty minutes shorter than his other movies too!) The humor is infectious; you feel the same joy the characters feel. You also feel their sadness because there is an honesty to the actors' performances that extend past the dialogue and the simple genre of comedy. This movie, as in all of Apatow's films, contains some of the strongest and most indelible side characters of any movie in recent memory. We may have seen this trope before, but we've never experienced it alongside these people. (Especially Kenneth from 30 Rock!)

The movie has some flaws. At times, I felt the jokes fell a bit flat. The timing was a bit off too--you didn't have enough time to laugh at the jokes. Additionally, half the movie had no establishing shots, making it hard to get a feel for the setting. The flashbacks were used effectively sometimes, but was very confusing in conjunction with the lack of establishing shots. Still. If you find me talking about technical flaws like establishing shots in a comedy, you know it got at least most things right. So if you liked Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, watch this movie and have a blast.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0800039/