The Interview

Saw this film recently and I must say that it doesn't quite live up to the hype that has been generated by all the talk of hacking into Sony.

The film is essentially a buddy comedy where a talk show host played by James Franco and his producer played by Seth Rogen head to North Korea to interview Kim Il Un. Before they go the CIA however gives them the task of assassinating the leader.

The movie plays on the opposites that are the characters with Franco's being a somewhat dumb, naive and hotheaded character with Rogen's being more level headed.

A lot of the comedy is derived on the interaction and dialog of Rogen and Franco but it is here that I find it doesn't always work. Franco's character is just far too over the top, a bit obnoxious even, and just gets on your nerves quite quickly.

The plot line gets pretty absurd quickly but that is of course to be expected. The film has it's moments and it is funny at times but I find it ends up being just mediocre and you keep wishing that Franco's character wouldn't speak as much.

Passable entertainment but nothing spectacular. 6/10

"The Interview" (2014 release; 112 min.) brings the story of how an entertainment reporter Dave Skylark (played by James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (played by Seth Rogen) get an opportunity to interview Kim Jong-un. the "Supreme Leader" of North Korea. As the movie opens, we see a young girl (maybe 7 or 8) sing a patriotic song for North Korean officials. The song turns hilariously into an anti-America rant. Soon thereafter, we see Skylark interview Eminem (another hilarious scene). When Skylark and Rapoport find out that Jng-un is a big fan of the show, they manage an invite to North Korea. The CIA then pays a visit and convinces the guys that they need to "take out" Jong-un. At this point we're barely 20 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience.

Couple of comments: at this point as much needs to be said about the events surrounding the limited release of the movie as about the movie itself. Let's start with the movie itself: first and foremost, I had heard and read mixed things about the movie, so when my (grown) kids and I went to see it on Christmas day, I had pretty low expectations. Turns out the movie is actually not nearly as bad as I had been led the believe. Yes, there is stupid "potty" humor and yes, it's all very much over the top. But there are zingers left and right that will have you smile if not laugh out loud. One of the many, many examples: when Jong-un and Skylark are taking a tour of Jong-un's place, at some point they come across a huge tank. Comments Jong-un: "That was a gift to my grandfather by Stalin". Replies Skylark: "in our country, we pronounce that Stallone", ha! And on and on. Randall Park as Kim Jong-un is outstanding. Kudos also to Set Rogen, who also co-rwote and co-directed the movie.

As to the limited release, I at first was horrified that Sony gave in to the threats, but felt better when the limited Christmas day release was announced. The movie played on one screen at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and it's a good thin I had bought tickets on-line beforehand, as the matinée screening was sold out (as were all other screenings, apparently). The crowd was really into it, laughing and hollering and whooping it up. When the end titles started rolling, the crowd even gave an applause. In all, this truly was a "movie event", and all three of us were very happy we were part of it. "The Interview" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Alright so let's get this out of the way. I'm giving huge props to Sony for releasing this movie after being threatened and hacked. With that being said my new found love for Sony has nothing to do with this review, I'm simply giving my opinion as if none of that ever happened.

Rogen and Franco. They're the modern day David Spade and Chris Farley, or at least they're getting there. They're on the same level as Ferrell and Reilly and Hill and Tatum. You get my point, they work well together...like peanut butter and......okay enough with the comparisons.

The movie is a satire, that's something you have to realize and accept before you ever even watch it. Do not go into it expecting it to be realistic or within reason. If you have a preconceived idea that the movie will be in the realm of realism then don't even bother. With that being said, the movie was well thought out in the way of being what it is and these two pull it off perfectly. Franco being the dumb one who's idiotically friendly to the wrong people and Rogen being the one with whatever sense of responsibility you could ever picture him having to begin with. The movie and their characters, in that sense, could be compared to their roles in Pineapple Express. If you liked Pineapple Express, you'll like this movie too because it comes with that same sense of humor that just works.

There were very few parts that were like "okay, is this going to pick up?" and there were parts (more often that not) that were near non-stop hilarious. There are some jokes and comments in there that I've never heard elsewhere that were purely brilliant and hilarious.

Sony spent A LOT of money making this movie and you can tell. It doesn't have that cheesy feel to it the way the "Scary Movie" series does, it's not that kind of satire or parody. The feel of the movie really was just like Pineapple Express. It's not overly done in a cheesy type of way at all. You really should watch it for yourselves, and not just because you want to give the big "f-you" to North Korea and its hackers-watch it because it's classic Rogen-Franco genius comedy.

7 out of 10, pushing 8 out of 10. Movies nowadays hardly ever make me laugh and I don't like stupid humor like Napoleon Dynamite or the cheesiness of movies like Scary Movie and I can say that this made me laugh like I haven't in a while.

Despite the doomed controversy surrounding it, 'The Interview' is a pretty cool & funny film, that deserved a wider release. Its limited release may restrict its appeal, but I'd suggest anyone who wants to laugh on Christmas, should check this one out.

'The Interview' Synopsis: 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.

'The Interview' has its share of hiccups. Firstly, the concept itself, would raise eye-brows & the sequences involving the dictator, are quite shocking, even though its told in all good humor. One more thing, the excessive violence in the narrative puts off you. The bloodshed could've easily been calmer.

But on the plus side, 'The Interview' is quite a joyride! Seth Rogen's Story, is nicely complimented by a mostly laugh-out-loud Screenplay Written by Dan Sterling. There are moments of pure hilarity, as well as moments involving shocking dialogue. Rogen & Evan Goldberg's Direction is perfect. Cinematography is awesome. Editing is rightly done. Art Design is excellent.

Performance-Wise: Rogen is in very good form, delivering above expectations. James Franco is a complete riot. His over-the-top, loud performance as the self-obsessed TV-Anchor, brings the house down on numerous occasions. Lizzy Caplan is first-rate. Randall Park is another topper as the megalomaniac dictator. His scenes with Franco, are truly funny. Diana Bang is stupendous, she unknowingly steals the show!

On the whole, 'The Interview' has moments of shock & gore, but there is also a lot of humor in here, that does the trick.

I've never written an IMDb review before, but after gazing upon the countless "1 stars" I had to make something clear.

I used to like Seth Rogan. His early stuff when he started out in "Freaks and Geeks" and his break out role in "40 Year Old Virgin". But as he grew more famous, I felt like he wasn't trying anymore. His comedic efforts no longer made me laugh and I'd effectively given up on him.

"The Interview" changed that. When I'm watching a movie by myself, it's rare that I'll laugh out loud, but this film had me giggling the whole way through. Yes - the humor is crude, offensive and childish, but it was hilariously daring. Franco, in my opinion, has never been funnier - pulling out classic one liners coupled with outrageous facial expressions.

The film takes shots at the media, the cult of celebrity and misinformed cultural perceptions. And while it may not be entirely true to life, I particularly appreciated Randall Park's humanising portrayal of Kim.

If you were debating whether to see this film or not, do it. One of the best comedies of 2014.