Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight." When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.
Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Cast: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park, Lizzy
Caplan, Diana Bang
Release Date: Dec
25, 2014
Rated R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor,
nudity, some drug use and bloody violence
Runtime: 1 hr. 52 min.
Genres: Comedy, Action
Review:
The Interview will probably be remembered for having one of
the strangest releases in movie history.
The Sony cyber attack, North Korea
and The Guardians of Peace all made for the cancelled then eventual release of
this film. After its strange long trek
to screens, you can’t help but wonder if the film was even worth all the
trouble. The Interview is pretty much
what you’d expect from Rogen and Franco.
Juvenile humor with some very strong moments scattered throughout the
film. Rogen does his usual shtick albeit
playing a bit more of a straight man than usual. Franco is over the top throughout, playing
Skylark like an overgrown man child. The biggest issue is that the film never
maintains the laughs for very long, you’ll have sporadic bits of hilarity
followed by some fairly noticeable dead spots were the film just drags; it
would have fared better with stronger editing.
The final act gets surprisingly gory for no apparent reason but it
typifies the film, it serves as a perfect microcosm of the film, funny for bits
but bland for long stretches. Goldberg
and Rogen seem to be shooting for Spies Like Us feel which they achieve
occasionally. It’s not the pair’s finest
work and their inexperience behind the camera is evident. Ultimately, the hype around the film will
probably over shadow the film in the long run which isn’t surprising since it’s
an above average comedy film at best.
C+
