Review of 30 Minutes or Less (2011) by Matt W — 31 Jul 2012

Let this movie be what it is, and you will enjoy this movie, not taking in much, as it happens in a flash. This movie is short, but the pacing is so fast, so the movie never really bores you. I found myself watching it , never really laughing at any of the jokes, but I was never bored, and that is the main point with this movie, it has a lot of problems, but it never bothered me as I was always invested in the story.

The main problem with the movie was probably down to the fact that it just wasn't very funny. I never found myself in hysterics, there may have been a few chuckles, for example in the bank scene etc, but it really is nothing on Zombieland- Fleischer's previous film. It just seemed like everyone was having a good time on set, but people weren't really paying attention to the fact that the jokes that were being fed weren't really that great. Everything just felt a bit stale, although I still enjoyed the movie due to the fact that it was just some forgettable fun, and that really does sum up this movie really.

The performances were varied, in the fact that this movie isn't really about the performances as uch as things such as comedic timing etc. I liked Jesse Eisenberg in this movie as I thought that he delivered his lines in the only way he could of done really, to make them work. I also thought that Schwartzman and Danny Mcbride were the only ones who actually made me truly laugh properly, as their lines wereprobably improvised. But I did have a bit of a problem with Aziz Anseri, as I felt he was never really acting, adn was just doing a whole thing of dancing at the front of the screen, running about with his high voice, and he just started to annoy me. But another point is he didn't seem to have much comedic timing in the way of the physical stuff, so if he went to slap someone, there would be a small pause and then something would happen, there would always be a delay, which just made the gag feel awkward instead of funny- this could be down to the editing.

The main thing that drove the movie fro mee was the directon, and the way it was put together, as that was what kept my interest within the film, as each shot is never shaky in the action scenes etc, so you can see what is going on, and I actually got some thrills in some of the chase scenes, which I didn't expect for a film like this, but there were also some nice shots, like swooping past a load of buildings, and some nice sunset shots- I'm not making it sound that great, but it was a ctually well shot, but the pacing really worked for me in this movie, as I do find if it were any longer, it would of really dragged, as to be fairly honest, I do think it would have dragged. Although I do believe that the hitman in the movie should've had more development, as I was never really clear to who he was in the movie until the last 15 minutes, and he had some funny scnees in there, and I do find that he was on the line between 'Why haven't they used him more in the movie?' and 'Why don't they just cut him out? They're not really using him?'.

The structure was a bit odd as it got near the end, as everything started to fall apart, and everything just felt a bit underwritten. As major plot points were just thorwn away quickly, and there were flamethrowers etc, but something happpens at the end, and you presume that someone has died, but then they are not, and people keep coming back to life, and the whole ending is a bit messy.

One thing that was odd is that something happens so that the hero and villian swap places- I won't spoil it, but it almost feels like the villain learns sometihng, while the hero embraces the darkness.

This was a fun movie, but nothing that will be remembered in time, this will be found in the £1 dvd basket at petrol stations etc- you get the idea. You watch it, you forget it- and that is it.

A.