Before I begin viewing and reviewing films that are being considered for an Oscar, I want to get my review of The Interview out of the way. First of all, I like Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The two of them helm this film, and unfortunately they cannot create as film that is as good as This is the End or Pineapple Express. I think that the controversy hurt the reception of the film, but I think there should not have been any controversy to begin with. This film is a bit of a mess, with some dumb humor, and nothing particularly compelling to say.
They Hate us, because they ain’t us
Before I dive into everything this film gets wrong, it does have a handful of positives. First of all, Seth Rogen and James Franco have remarkable chemistry. Every time they are on screen together the film truly shines. Another major plus is the relationship between Dave Skylark (Franco) and Kim Jong-Un. The two of them have some of the best scenes in the film, and in these scenes Kim Jong-Un’s character is humanized. Other than the character relationships, I really enjoyed James Franco as Dave Skylark. I know many people took issue with his character for being over the top, but I personally like that about him. He was larger than life, and Franco conveyed that perfectly. He definitely had most of the laughs in the film, even though there were moments meant from humor that fell completely flat. Another major positive to the film is (SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!) is Kim Jong-Un’s death scene. It was very well shot, I loved the choice of music, and the effects were very convincing. Now, onto the bad…
You know what’s more destructive than a nuclear bomb?
I truly wish this film did not have the controversy it did. Unfortunately, while the film has some laughs, it relies too much on mindless gags. Worse than that, the film does not use its’ premise to the extent it could have. I knew most of what the film showed concerning North Korea, and I do not follow new very much. Instead of educating America, the film shows just how dumb we can be. I wish it had something a bit more compelling to say, and offered some smarter moments, but it just gave the audience some brainless humor. Another problem I had with the film, strangely enough, is with Seth Rogen and his character. I have seen Seth Rogen branch out and play a more two dimensional character, but in this film he falls back to his typical self. This is a character that I am tired of seeing Rogen play, and I want to see him play someone like in 50/50. My problem with his character is that he wants to be taken more seriously, but he acts like an idiot. James Franco is forgiven for his idiocy, but Rogen’s character is far more inconsistent.
Closing Remarks
I would be lying if I said this film is not entertaining, but it is a rather mindless experience. I wish some of the characters had more depth, and that the film took its’ premise seriously enough to educate the population rather than acting completely foolish.