Grade (B)
A ridiculous plot that results in turn-your-brain off fun and ridiculous laughs.
If you feel like turning your brain off for a night and enjoying some laughs then “The Watch” may be right up your alley. It’s a ridiculous plot with amusing characters that work well together to provide an entertaining viewing. Directed by Akiva Schaffer, this film features a great cast of comedic actors; Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade.
If the award existed, Evan (Stiller) would be considered Citizen of the Year in Glenview Ohio. He is the coordinator of several clubs, the manager of the town Costco, and deeply entrenched in his community. When the over-night security guard is killed while working, Evan decides to form a neighborhood watch to track down the killer. But the group will not be ready for the impending alien invasion.
Sure the plot is outrageous, that is what makes this film succeed in being entertaining. The premise felt like something from an 80’s comedy, and along with some great characters, there was an appealing quality to the film. If the plot of this film doesn’t tell that you shouldn’t take this film serious, then it’s on you. It moves with a nice pace throughout and shows some fresh creativity. There was also some unpredictability, with the story taking enough wild twists and turns to keep things flowing nicely.
The soundtrack is awesome and itself alone adds some laughs with the various songs chosen for some of the montages. From start-to-finish the comedy delivers tons of, admittedly dumb laughs, and surprisingly doesn’t get too repetitive. The differences in the characters allow for various comedic angles that work great among their dynamics, and the chemistry among the group was visible onscreen.
All four of the main characters shined in this film, and in my opinion Vaughn was the highlight of the cast with his performance. He continues to be one of my favorites in the genre, although he has had some misses in recent years. His emotions in the role were great and the relationship with his teenage daughter provided some of the funniest moments in the entire film. Not to mention having some scenes inside a Costco which was very entertaining, nothing like having some action sequences filled with comedy in an actual location most of us have been in.
Everything about this film was entertaining to me. It may not be a film that requires your full attention, but its a film that doesn’t take anything serious and shows some ambition in the creative department. The side characters were funny and added to the rich humor of the script. I am not sure why there were so many bad reviews on this movie but I enjoyed it. The film will make you laugh, has some eccentric characters, a uniquely absurd plot, some action and much more. The 80’s comedy feel of the premise was underlying, but it subtly shines.
Time: 102 min
MPAA Rating: R (For some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images)