Review of 30 Minutes or Less (2011) by Trevor J — 05 Sep 2012

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, (Zombieland (2009), Gangster Squad (2013)), this is a stoner comedy which shares blood with Pineapple Express (2008), but the humour in this is blacker, and it has moments of suspense, action and very funny dialogue, which makes for a good mixture and a good 83 minutes of film.

Fleischer has the makings of a great director, and he does well with his second film. In Cedar Rapids, Michigan, stoner pizza delivery driver Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) lives the life of a slacker, getting by on weed and bumming off other people.

However, he gets more than he bargained for when he delivers to Dwayne King (Danny McBride) and Travis Cord (Nick Swardson), two psychotic delinquents who have a plan. Dwayne is sick of being overpowered by his father, The Major (Fred Ward), and he wants an assassin to pick off his Dad, but he needs $100,000 to do it.

So, he straps a bomb to Nick, and tells him to rob a bank, otherwise Nick dies. Nick ends up getting his friend Chet (Aziz Ansari) involved in trying to rob the bank as well, but nothing goes to plan, and Nick and Chet try to play Dwayne and Travis at their own game.

It's a very good film which manages to do a lot with short running time and a limited budget, kinda like what Zombieland did. It's got a funny script and good performances by Eisenberg and McBride.

There are bits that do suspend belief, but maybe that's the point, it's rude and down n' dirty and proud of it, and it works too.