Observe and Report

A Square Peg In A World Of Round Holes
I understand why most people didnt like this film, but it is really too bad. Not everything in this world is going to fit into your preconceived ideas of the way things should be. The good guys dont always win, and the heroes aren't always nice. Observe and Report is a great example of that. The "hero" in this film, Ronnie, continues down a path of monumentally bad moral and legal decisions. All the while believing that he is valiant and just. This, combined with his way of dealing with his own metal shortcomings, makes him horribly endearring. The humor in this film is all around, if you just let yourself stop taking it so seriously. I mean, really, haven't you ever just wanted to smack one of those skateboard rinding mall punks around just once? I joke, but that is the flavor of the film. None of the characters in this film are the kind of people that you want to know, but they are fun to watch.

New King of Comedy
Not to say that writer/director Jody Hill is the new Scorscese (he's not), but I was constantly reminded of Scorscese's early 80s disturbo-comedy "King of Comedy" when watching this. Whereas Scorscese uses stark realism, though, Hill uses the conventions and expectations of modern comedy to nail us. This could have easily been another crude and rude comedy along the lines of Superbad or Pineapple Express. Those (hell, most) comedies made today feature borderline-sociopathic, emotionally-retarded, and hopelessly immature males. Hill simply tips his characters over the edge. There is no denying that Ronnie (Seth Rogan) is a full-blown psychopath. What's surprising is how close this character is to every other character Seth Rogan has ever played!
Your reaction to this film will be greatly effected by your expectations. If you expect an extremely dark, yet often silly, film instead of yet another "Superbad" or, god forbid, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop", you should not be disappointed in...

If anything, I was surprised when I discovered its dark comedy
Upon going into the theatre for "Observe and Report" on its opening day, I was under the impression that I was about to see an 18A-rated Mall Cop.

Boy, was I surprised when I found out how wrong I was.

Nevertheless, dark comedies have always been something I've had a knack for, and if you're expecting a "Mall Cop for adults", you best not even touch the DVD. Because believe me, Observe and Report is a dark, twisted, and VERY violent romp through bi-polar disorder, drug use, date rape, and a man running around and flashing people.

If I haven't put you off seeing this movie, you can continue reading this review.

Yeah, something tells me I put a bunch of people off watching this movie just by that comment in the above paragraph alone. The 2.5 star out of 5 rating is caused mostly by people who walked into this movie not knowing the dark film they were about to see, and expecting a sex comedy. If anything, I was surprised when I decovered its...

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