DVD REVIEW: Observe and Report
Observe and Report
(Warner Home Video)
Sometimes your kids grow up and they don’t know what they want to be, the same is true in the world of film and such is the case with Observe and Report starring Seth Rogan. Its one part romantic comedy, one part psychological thriller, and eight parts question marks as the film weaves in and out of genres rather than evenly blending them together. Seth Rogan plays a mall cop ala Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and it’s a tough pill to swallow after the sentimental everyday guy “won’t you please love me†antics end early on in the story.
The film is like the evil stepchild version of Paul Blart: Mall Cop and when it goes dark it means it with heavy drugs, date rape type situations, violence, and a touch of psychosis, and these are the elements that are actually most redeeming in the film. There are some worthwhile macabre laughs but getting to them is tough at times when the plot becomes overt but it’s worth sticking with for the moments.
The movie is not bad but it is certainly unsuccessful and really doesn’t find its way until the last act when it’s a case of too little too late. As Hillary said- it takes a village to raise a child and the same is true in producing a film, so who knows who messed this film up. But it clearly had some potential and it’s a shame to see it stuck in therapy and going nowhere in life.