Movie Review: Neighbors (2014)
Written by Anthony Sargon
Folks, we have a winner on our hands. “Neighbors”, the latest flick from power-duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (featuring a host of Apatow clan favorites) is the funniest movie of the year, and a great way to spend a couple of hours at the theater. It’s raunchy and surprisingly sweet, and you’ll be quoting it for the rest of the summer.
Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) are a newly-wed couple with a newborn baby. As they begin to adjust to their new lives, a fraternity moves into the house next door. Frats can only mean parties, loud music, and headaches. In order to avoid any unwanted drama with the police, Kelly and Mac attempt to befriend frat president Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) and vice president Pete (Dave Franco). When that eventually falls through and the couple is forced to report a noise complaint, the frat unleashes its fully fury to ensure that Mac and Kelly’s lives are turned upside down, forcing them to retaliate with force.
If you’ve enjoyed any of Seth Rogen’s previous collaborations with Evan Goldberg or Judd Apatow such as “This is the End“, “Pineapple Express”, “Superbad” or “Knocked Up”, then prepare to have a great time. The laughs are relentless, and although some jokes don’t land or go on for far longer than they need to, there’s always something hilarious just around the corner. It’s a great premise that allows for a lot of raunch and a lot of laughs, and the writers make the absolute most of it.
If you generally hate Zac Efron, don’t fret; he’s a revelation in “Neighbors.” I knew he had a lot of wasted comedic potential when I watched him in the terrible “That Awkward Moment“, so this is exactly the role he needs to let loose. His character is a lot more than just a douche-bag. With graduation coming up, he’s scared of letting go of the only thing that ever meant anything to him, and the only thing he was ever good at; being a frat guy. Mac and Kelly are also in a similar spot; they have to come to terms with the fact that they’re no longer young college students who can drink all night and down a bag of shrooms. They have responsibilities now, and they’re far more pressing than getting wasted.
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are great as Mac and Kelly, and although it’s impossible to picture Seth Rogen with someone as attractive as Byrne, it’s not too bad. Dave Franco is great, although he looks so much like his brother it can be insanely distracting. It’s always great to see Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and he’s hilarious as one of the frat brothers with a special gift, Scoonie.
Directed by Nicholas Stoller, the film never drags and always moves briskly. With a slim running time of 96 minutes, you don’t really get an opportunity to get bored. Stoller allows the cast to improvise quite a bit (as is usually the case with these films) and everyone is more than up to the task. It’s always a good sign when I never look at my watch during a movie, and that was most certainly the case with “Neighbors.”
The Verdict:
Raunchy, hilarious, and sweet, “Neighbors” is one of 2014′s best, and you definitely don’t want to miss it.
Numerical Score: 9/10
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