Bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper’s paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can’t bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective, is recruited to close the case.
The Truth
Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, security chief at Forest Ridge Mall, a tough-talking, lonely .. and nerdy male.. who still lives at home with his alcoholic mom (Celia Weston)
Ronnie has a gigantic crush on a makeup-counter salesclerk (Anna Faris) and commands the other guards on his watch with the intensity of a Drill sergeant in boot camp. Is that a funny or original premise? Not really, not yet. The story fails almost immediately, as Rogan’s character is really irritating and unfunny, actually really uninteresting.
For some reason Ronnie is also the toughest guy in town, for no added reason to this story. They show Ronnie kicking the asses of many people at once, but it has no value in the end. Nothing in this plot had any value, it fucking had no point at all. All these characters, with crazy traits, but for no apparent reason. Rogan sucks, he should stick to his one character role as the burnout, because he can’t handle anything else.
The Laughs
Highlights range from explosively funny gross-out gags and extraordinary situations, including being dropped off in the ghetto.
What’s good about it?
The film turns dark and mysterious at times, then brings it all together with a string of comedy. Anna Faris is gorgeous, and plays her role perfectly, while Rogan shows he could pull of the role of a madman if he wanted to.
What’s bad about it?
The film gets too serious, away from the comedy and too much into the deeper..darker side of Ronnie Barnhardt, making us wonder what the hell we got ourselves into.
You’ll Like It If
Seth Rogan fans {whoever you are} will love it, the rest of us will leave the theater scratching our heads going… “ok whatever”
The Verdict
Observe and Report {link to official coverage} has the cast and crew to make it a real winner, but it falls a little short in originality and the laughs, yet managed to depress me during my stay. I go to a comedy to be entertained, to laugh.. I left this film feeling satisfied in neither aspect.
Observe and Report slowly takes you on a really dark journey, which is neither funny or interested after 10 minutes of your time. A terrible movie, one of the worst I have watched in 2009. You suck Seth Rogan.
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