Review of The Interview (2014) by Bryan R — 14 Feb 2015

With North Korean officials directly calling on Barack Obama to ban it, and the group behind the Sony hack announcing there would be "9/11 style attacks" on any cinema that showed it, publicity for this ostensibly controversial Kim Jong-un assassination flick couldn't have been greater.

That the final product can't live up to the hype is not overly surprising. The Interview is one of those comedies that is rarely dull and consistently amusing, yet struggles to generate any hearty laughs or memorable moments - a priceless Eminem interview aside.

After working together multiple times, writer-directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, along with Rogen's on screen sparring partner James Franco, have developed a filmic shorthand together that yields both pros and cons.

There's a natural bromantic chemistry between the two stars, whom can seemingly riff off each other as easily as they can breathe, but this familiarity has also started to breed an over-reliance on certain comedic beats.

We get the obligatory scene(s) of Rogen's schlub flipping out, the employment of shock-value crude language to spark an otherwise flat gag, and more of the is-Franco-gay? meta humour that ran its course in This is the End.

Despite its glaring issues, however, there's still a wild charm to the ambitiousness of it all that - along with a comically violent action-packed finale and Randall Park's subtly jocular portrayal of the man-child dictator - keeps a smile on your face from start to finish.

Would be even better with a beer or two under your belt though, so waiting for it on DVD is the way to go.