There's nothing like a good neighborhood watch, right? What could be better than a diligent group of concerned citizens keeping an eagle's eye out for maniacal murderers and even alien invaders? Good question. The answer: The Watch, a movie about a group of maniacal neighborhood watchmen bonding while scoping out area evil, including some other-worldliness.
Welcome to Glenview, Ohio. It's a sleepy little villa that is so average it makes Peoria a bit jealous. That rep of normality is about to change. Don't tell Evan (Ben Stiller). Evan is a take-charge guy. He's started about every group in town: a walking club, a japanese club; just to name a pair. He's also the manager at a Costco, the scene of a Glenview anomaly: a murder! Of course, this is all kinds of upsetting to Evan, who takes great pride in the safe normality of his Glenview. So, Evan starts a neighborhood watch in order to catch the predator that not only killed his employee but, well...took his skin. Unfortunately, Evan's neighbors aren't quite as concerned, so his watch group draws only a cop reject (Franklin--Jonah Hill), and two fellas more interested in the social side of the group (Bob--Vince Vaughn and Jamarcus--Richard Ayoade). Soon, the guys realize that they are up against something more dangerous than local pranksters and even murderers. They realize that aliens are, indeed, among us. Not only that, but they're trying to overtake us. Yadayadayada...the guys try to take out the evil E.T.'s while trying to solve their own issues ranging from wild daughters to empty pistols.
It's pretty good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars. It's a fun ride with a good mixture of comedy and raunchy. No, it's not a "laugh-a-minute, I'm gonna fall out of my stadium seat" venture, but it's funny. The characters are all likable. Each actor steps out his box a bit (with the possible exception of Stiller, whose character is probably kin to several others he's played), which is refreshing...especially for Vaughn who had fallen into the same type of role recently. Jonah is great as the wannabe, but rejected, cop. And, Ayoade, is the big screen sophomore, but played very nicely with a veteran group. Plus, there are plenty of twists and extra-terrestrial turns that will keep you engaged, as well as chuckling.
Will you want to see it? That depends on you and how exactly conservatively prudish you are, because the uptight need not apply. Case in point: the couple in front of us. They should have probably skipped this one altogether. This older man and wife might have been expecting something more along the lines of Ben Stiller in Night at the Museum or the Focker franchise, which certainly had it's colorful moments, but nothing that spiked the raunch-o-meter like this one. Ben Stiller runs the gamut so you got to do your homework if you're not into the offbeat humor. I like it and if you do as well, you'll want to see this one. What the heck...go ahead and see it BIG.
True...OUT!
No comments:
Post a Comment