Film Review: "The Interview"

Like every Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy of late, "The Interview" is nothing but a series of outrageous gags that are sometimes funny but oftentimes ridiculous and yet, somehow, the duo always manages to miraculously knit together a narrative thread that comes off uneven but nevertheless engaging and, at times, entertaining.

The last Rogen/Franco collaboration that I saw was their movie about a group of stoners trying to survive the end of the world. I found it horrible, distasteful and unfunny and I did not bother finishing it. I swore not to watch another comedy of theirs.

Then came "The Interview".

This movie is a tad better than their last film. It features a host of celebrity cameos and Katy Perry's hit song "Fireworks". This comedy, like their previous one, is a fantasy concocted by Rogen and a couple of other guys and dealt with the planned assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. The premise is provocative and, for the most part, the movie lived up to its ambitions -- but it is still a stupid, silly movie that would have been a whole lot better if the banter between the two main characters was fresher and if more jokes were a lot funnier.

Yes, Kim Jong-un dies in the end. We all know that otherwise there would not have been so much hoopla over the movie and Sony Pictures would not have been hacked but how the dictator dies in the film is less dramatic as one would expect. The actual assassination however takes place during the interview between Franco's character and Kim Jong-un. The segment is the funniest and finest part of the film and, for this alone, the movie deserves to be seen --- whether one is merely curious because of the controversy or one is a fan of the Rogen/Franco brand of comedy.

This film is not a parody, not a satire. It is just an insane fantasy with no political agenda -- it can't be propaganda against North Korea, otherwise, it would be an insult not just to them but to all master propagandists. This is the kind of movie that you watch, have a laugh, talk a little about then you forget about it.

Rating: 3 Stars

News: Sony pulls "The Interview" from Christmas Day opening

North Korea wins Round 1!

No more "The Interview" this Holidays. A Video On Demand release is being talked about. No more plans of a VOD or DVD release. 

Let's all hope art will triumph ultimately!

Read Sony's full statement below..

In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like.  We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.

XXX
Raymond Lo