The Interview

Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang, Timothy Simons, Reese Alexander, Eminem (uncredited), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (uncredited), Rob Lowe (uncredited), Seth Meyers (uncredited)
Directed by: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A famous television journalist (James Franco) and his producer (Seth Rogen) score the interview of a lifetime- a sit down with North Korea's Kim Jong-Un. As they prepare to leave, they are approached by a government agent (Lizzy Caplan) who asks them to assassinate the leader.
Review:

Tim: I hope I'm not putting myself on North Korea's radar by admitting I've seen The Interview. I'm still quite shocked at what an international ruckus this stupid comedy created. I still remember hearing about this movie early on and thinking it was an odd choice for Seth Rogen (who wrote, co-directed, and starred in it- so if NK's upset, go after him, not me). The movie then blew up after the scandalous hack of Sony, leaking very unflattering emails about studio bigwigs. Then came the threat that any theaters showing the film would be subject to 9/11 style attacks, which led to the film being pulled from theaters. This received widespread criticism, including from President Barack Obama. That pressure led Sony to try an unconventional digital release and limited theatrical release. I saw the film on Netflix. All this drama for a stupid comedy. It's still hard to believe. Some day, someone will make a movie about everything that happened with this film. And again, it's all for a dumb comedy.

While the film is undoubtedly moronic, it's not all bad. I do think that the storyline was a bit unnecessary. While I don't agree with the level of North Korea's outrage, the idea of this film being about two Americans assassinating their supreme leader was clearly in bad taste. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg don't really care about taste, so I get it. I just want to be clear that I think it was a mistake to tell this story, although I fully support the freedom of speech and their right to tell it anyway.

While the film isn't a classic, I have to admit I laughed more than I thought I would. James Franco and Rogen have a lot of history together and it was genuinely fun to see them together again. Yes, some of their gags were idiotic and not funny at all, but there were too many moments throughout this film that really made me laugh. Oddly enough, very few of the best moments featured the character of Kim Jong-Un. Rogen and Franco's ridiculous interactions were the funniest moments of the film for me. I actually really enjoyed the movie up to the point when Jong-Un appears and Franco befriends him. That felt played out to me and it was incredibly, incredibly predictable. The movie was funnier before the plot got in the way.

Franco needed to play the part with a little more restraint. There's too many moments when he's mugging for the camera. Yes, he's a funny guy and does deliver some lines brilliantly, but I really didn't enjoy his character or believe his performance at all. It was pretty bad. Seth Rogen is in danger of really seeming like he just plays himself in every film. The good news is that he's a pretty likeable guy, so I don't mind it so much. He was really good in the movie. Lizzy Caplan was a great addition, but I wish they gave her something worthwhile to do. Her talent was completely wasted. I also have to give Randall Park credit for his portrayal of Jong-Un. I would bet a lot of money his performance was nothing like the real person, but that was never the point. He actually delivers a very strong performance. It was the kind of performance that made me sit up and take notice and I'm interested to see what else Park does.

Some people have called The Interview one of the most controversial movies ever. It's funny because without all the controversy, this would have been a mildly successful comedy that delivered a few laughs and people quickly forgot. With everything swirling around it, this film became something else. I find it so interesting how this comedy found itself in the midst of this giant scandal. People will always remember this movie for the craziness that surrounded its release. That would be fine if it was a great movie. Unfortunately, while it does have its moments, The Interview just isn't as effective as it should have been. Oh, and if anyone from North Korea is reading this, I truly mean you no offense.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: This Is the End, Pineapple Express, Not telling North Korea