I don’t think it's much of a comedy. The darkness overpowers everything.
Observe and Report (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:17
Rotten:17
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Though it has a mean streak, and does not cater to all tastes, Observe and Report has gut-busting laughs and a fully committed Seth Rogen in irresistible form.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Apr 10, 2009 Wide
Box Office: $23,993,605
Synopsis:
At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the...
At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun.
Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi (ANNA FARIS), the hot make-up counter clerk who won't give him the time of day.
But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison (RAY LIOTTA) of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops.
Seth Rogen stars in the dark comedy Observe and Report, written and directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way). Donald De Line (The Italian Job) will produce, with Andrew Haas (Without a Paddle), Marty Ewing (Blades of Glory), Thomas Tull (The Dark Knight) and Jon Jashni (Sweet Home Alabama) serving as executive producers. The film also stars Anna Faris (The House Bunny), Michael Pena (Million Dollar Baby), Celia Weston (Junebug) and Ray Liotta (The Rat Pack).
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Tim Orr (Snow Angels), production designer Chris Spellman (Superbad) and editor Zene Baker (The Foot Fist Way). Music is by Joseph Stephens.
Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, presents a De Line Pictures Production, a Jody Hill Film, Observe and Report, . --© Warner Bros
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe
Director: Jody Hill
Director: Jody Hill
Screenwriter: Jody Hill
Producer: Donald De Line
Composer: Joseph Stephens
Studio: Warner Bros.
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Reviews for Observe and Report
It falls short of brilliant but it's a lot more daring than what passes for 'dark comedy' these days, and it reminds us that 'feel bad' comedies may not always be as funny as 'feel good' ones but, when they work, they can ultimately be more satisfying.
I don't want to oversell it, but Observe and Report is the sort of offbeat studio movie that should be encouraged.
In the end, Observe and Report falls in the somewhat confusing middle -- guaranteed to annoy the mainstream while not quite delivering the final twist and bitter irony the true comic cultists crave.
A few of the less repeatable lines hit their marks, but the whole affair has the pasty-faced desperation of shoppers trapped in fluorescent light.
The tone of the film wavers queasily, though intentionally, between slapstick and shock.
Writer-director Jody Hill is obviously trying to accomplish something here. But just what is none too clear.
The whole thing is calibrated to wow us with its weirdness, even as it assumes an air of 'Who, me?' guilelessness. I've seen slick, glossy Hollywood thrillers made with less knowing calculation.
I've observed this Seth Rogen comedy, and I can report that it's not very good.
Observe and Report strikes me as a comedy in perfect pace with this moment. It's funny and uncompromising, offering laughs without denial.
[T]he upbeat ending--which comes on the heels of a genuinely shocking climax--is so incongruous that, as with The King of Comedy, it almost seems we're being dared to question whether it is real or delusion.
[Director] Hill evidently intends his film to be satirical. But satire requires intelligence to succeed. Observe and Report has a moronic sense of humour, trading in racism, sexism, profanity and violence at every predictable turn.
A potentially brilliant conceptual comedy that fizzles because its writer and director, Jody Hill, doesn’t have the guts to go with his spleen.
Given that the ordinarily likable Seth Rogen is portraying a delusional, violent, sexist, racist, homophobic mall cop with a bipolar disorder, there's not really a lot to laugh at.
When Observe and Report is funny, it's often shockingly so. The characters can be nasty or self-absorbed, yet they still have a whiff of sweetness.
Beyond the weirdness, if you can get there, is a quick portrait of trailer-park America pursuing its urges by any means necessary.
Latest News for Observe and Report
September 21, 2009:
RT on DVD: Observe and Report, Classic Star Trek, and more.
Coming out on home video this week are a few new releases from earlier this year (such as Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Observe and Report), as well as a couple of collections... More...
April 12, 2009:
Seth Rogen more shocking than funny as crude mall cop. ![]()
More...
April 09, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Hannah Montana Hits A Flat Note
This week at the movies, we've got a pop songbird (Hannah Montana the Movie, starring Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus), a mall cop (Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen and Anna... More...
April 09, 2009:
Observe And Report: Better Than Blart, And Dirtier Than Harry. And the wicked humor never lets up, as the tone deliciously darkens just when it seems there's nowhere left to go. ![]()
More...
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