Review of Neighbors (2014) by Tim H — 08 Mar 2015
I'm getting tired of stoner comedies. Oddly enough, they all seem to come from Seth Rogen. Color me surprised, then, that Neighbors was refreshingly different than most of Rogen's films. But best of all, it has a heart.
The film shows the feud between a married couple with a baby and a frat house that moves in next door. Now, this can be considered a stoner comedy, still, but it at least tones it down in favor of the balls to the wall antics.
There is a slow start that almost derails the entire film, but once the first party happens, it is all kinetic from there. The leads: Rogen, Byrne, and Efron are all great together, with Byrne giving a performance so out of left field, in the vein of Tom Cruise in Tropic Thunder.
Efron and Rogens' bro-rivalry plays out nicely, and it pretty funny to watch. But like I said, there is a painfully slow start that almost derails it, and then there is a rather abrupt ending that just happens, that not everyone will be satisfied with.
Other than those two issues, everything in the middle is smooth sailing. And one final note: It was nice to see all three actors given a generational plot line; kind of like a "this is who I was, this is who you'll be" idea.
It added some much needed emotional weight that helped this film stand out.
This review of Neighbors (2014) was written by Tim H on 08 Mar 2015.
Neighbors has generally received positive reviews.
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