Release Date: December 25, 2014 (limited)
Directors: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
MPAA Rating: R
Celebrity tabloid TV show host Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) have had a successful run with their very popular show “Skylark Tonight.” Skylark has his fans, and detractors, but much to his surprise the Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un (Randall Park) is a huge fan. Rapoport reaches out to North Korea to set up an interview with the dictator and is quite stunned when they accept. As the team prepares for its trip, the two receive an unexpected visit from the CIA, which recruits the pair for a very important mission. The CIA wants Skylark to assassinate Kim Jung-un when he meets Kim Jong-un for their interview.
Evan Golberg and Seth Rogen, the masterminds behind 2013’s This Is the End, return with what may be the funniest action-comedy since Edgar Wright’s Hot Fuzz. Their latest effort is a political satire/parody that evolves into a crazy send-up of the spy genre. The directing and writing duo not only takes their shots at North Korea but also at the United States as well. Rogen and Goldberg’s brand of comedy is not for everyone. It can certainly be viewed as juvenile and lowbrow, but while that is a fair assessment, their films are pretty damn funny. The Interview is cut from the same cloth and is consistent in delivering the laughs. Written by Goldberg, Rogen and Dan Sterling, the film opens strong and, in terms of story and comedy, it hits hills and valleys as it drives towards its conclusion. It does feel a bit long but that can be often said about many comedies that exceed the 90-minute mark.
Rogen and Franco together are excellent. Their chemistry-bromance is infectious and often hilarious. You really get the sense that these two have worked together for such a long time that they not only understand each other but also kind of know what the other is thinking. Rogen is hilarious as the straight-and-narrow man who plays off Franco’s over-the-top and hammy performance. Speaking of Franco, he just nails it as a popular tabloid reporter. He really cuts loose to deliver the comedy in every scene he’s in. Lizzy Caplan is also great as Agent Lacey of the CIA. She isn’t given a whole lot to do as she spends most of her time at headquarters, but those moments are humorous. Diana Bang fairs well as the propaganda director, Sook. But the real stand-out is Randall Park, who gives the best possible performance as the Supreme Leader Kim Jung-un. You just have to see the film to appreciate it. Revealing anything would be spoiler-ish.
The Interview is not going to change the world. It’s not going to open eyes or educate. It’s full of non-PC jokes, sexist-misogynistic comments, plenty of scatological and body humor. Its simple and sole objective is to entertain. It’s a comedy and is not meant to be taken seriously or literally. Fans of this team will enjoy it immensely. Non-fans or new ones should just check their brains at the door, forget about the controversy that surrounds the film, and settle in for an entertaining two hours full of laughter.
