a pubescent fantasy where the characters act like they're inside a cartoon and there are simply no consequences for their actions
Observe and Report (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:91
Rotten:90
Average Rating:5.4/10
Consensus: Though it has a mean streak, and does not cater to all tastes, Observe and Report has gut-busting laughs and a fully committed Seth Rogen in irresistible form.
Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence.
Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:24-04-2009
Synopsis:
At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the...
At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun.
Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi (ANNA FARIS), the hot make-up counter clerk who won't give him the time of day.
But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison (RAY LIOTTA) of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops.
Seth Rogen stars in the dark comedy Observe and Report, written and directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way). Donald De Line (The Italian Job) will produce, with Andrew Haas (Without a Paddle), Marty Ewing (Blades of Glory), Thomas Tull (The Dark Knight) and Jon Jashni (Sweet Home Alabama) serving as executive producers. The film also stars Anna Faris (The House Bunny), Michael Pena (Million Dollar Baby), Celia Weston (Junebug) and Ray Liotta (The Rat Pack).
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Tim Orr (Snow Angels), production designer Chris Spellman (Superbad) and editor Zene Baker (The Foot Fist Way). Music is by Joseph Stephens.
Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, presents a De Line Pictures Production, a Jody Hill Film, Observe and Report, . --© Warner Bros
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris
Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe
Director: Jody Hill
Director: Jody Hill
Screenwriter: Jody Hill
Producer: Donald De Line
Composer: Joseph Stephens
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Observe and Report
By taking chances and freeing itself of a safety net, the picture arrives as a welcome respite to the same-old, same-old.
It's the strangest movie I expect to see from a Hollywood studio for the rest of the year.
Soon, Rogen will muscle up into the role he really wants: Rambo. That explains the shoot-em-up climax of Pineapple Express, an unfunny joke now stretched out into a full flick
[A] startling portrait of knee-jerk ignorance, obliviousness, and mean-spiritedness... Rogen's wholehearted devotion to the character imbues him with a solid reality, if a miserable one...
Observe and Report revels in creeping you out and making you laugh -- hard.
Observe and Report feels more like a series of not-quite-successful skits thrown together than a movie with a script.
While it stops before sliding too far into the darkness, Observe and Report hits a lot of bull's-eyes by aiming for the gut, not easy belly laugh.
You can't root for Ronnie. You can't identify with him. You can't hope he gets the girl – any girl -- or the police job or even the crook. But you may want to look on with stunned fascination as he ticks away, ready to explode.
For better or worse, the weirdest, wildest comedy of the year so far.
An acidic, anarchic layer cake of mental illness with comedy teddy bear Seth Rogen as its seal of approval. It'll be fascinating to see how this demented, treehouse feature is received by audiences accustomed to far bouncier takes on smutty giggles.
Warner Bros. takes a gamble on writer-director Jody Hill's sophomore effort, a pitch-black comedy that's sure to inspire rants and raves in equal measure.
...an occasionally amusing, persistently disturbing comedy that at times plays like a bipolar-disorder episode from the inside out.
If I could review the film in halves, I'd give the comedy act *** and the drama *.
In its own demented Pineapple-Foot Fist-Four Letter Word Way, Observe and Report delivers a cynical, angry and funny take on a life of loud, violent desperation.
Violence in the unimaginatively titled Observe and Report is loud and blunt -- making it the ugliest, most hate-filled comedy since Borat.
A crazy mosaic of Americana with tiles scattered and missing. Need I observe and report that the view isn't for every taste? It sure is for mine.
Things go from bad to worse to violent and yet -- as in Pineapple Express, which also starred Rogen -- the film never stops being funny, even though you'll find yourself squirming more and more over Ronnie's behavior.
Latest News for Observe and Report
September 21, 2009:
RT on DVD: Observe and Report, Classic Star Trek, and more.
Coming out on home video this week are a few new releases from earlier this year (such as Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Observe and Report), as well as a couple of collections... More...
April 12, 2009:
Seth Rogen more shocking than funny as crude mall cop. ![]()
More...
April 09, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Hannah Montana Hits A Flat Note
This week at the movies, we've got a pop songbird (Hannah Montana the Movie, starring Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus), a mall cop (Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen and Anna... More...
April 09, 2009:
Observe And Report: Better Than Blart, And Dirtier Than Harry. And the wicked humor never lets up, as the tone deliciously darkens just when it seems there's nowhere left to go. ![]()
More...
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