Observe and Report is a new mall, but same old story

[ken]

Source: chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/movies/nowshowing/6366952.html]Observe and Report | Movies now showing | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
By AMY BIANCOLLI Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle
April 9, 2009, 5:48PM
One’s PG, the other R. But on close inspection (which is, after all, in the spirit of the thing), Paul Blart: Mall Cop and Observe and Report appear to be the same movie.

Each takes place in a mall: Paul in New Jersey, Observe in New Mexico. In each, the hero is an overweight, pathologically self-aggrandizing in-house security guard (Kevin James, Seth Rogen) with a dopey name (Blart, Ronnie Barnhardt), a problematic health condition (hypoglycemia, bipolar disorder) and dreams of becoming a cop (state, municipal). Neither carries a gun on the job, a source of insecurity (Paul) and/or annoyance (Ronnie).

Both men get around on two wheels (Segway, motorcycle). Both lust after cuties (Jayma Mays, Anna Faris) who work in the mall (cosmetics, hair weaves). Both spend one key sequence getting incredibly, stupendously trashed. Both live with their moms (Shirley Knight, Celia Weston), though only Ronnie’s is drunk in every scene. Both pursue thieves with single-minded devotion to their craft — and morph, along the way, into bone-crunching action heroes.

See what I mean? Same movie. Of course, only Observe and Report hinges its plot on the MO of a serial flasher, and only Observe and Report shows his flapping totality front and center during a race through the mall. It’s Ronnie, not Paul, who tells his mother, “This disgusting pervert is the best thing that ever happened to me.” And it’s Ronnie, not Paul, who volleys seven-letter invectives with a verbally abusive hand-cream salesman (Aziz Ansari) he nicknames “Saddamn.”

Ronnie’s pretty abusive himself, for that matter. Written and directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way, a nasty semi-hoot), Observe is a schlubby mall farce with a wide streak of sadism: Most of its laughs ride on the cracked heads of crackheads, cops and skateboarders. And while I’m not above some really vicious slapstick, there’s a slim divide between humorous and off-putting, hilarious and cruel. Sweetness is Rogen’s hallmark — a vulgar sweetness cut with ganja, but still — and it’s a jolt to see him as a violently delusional ass-whupper on some kind of manic bender.

It isn’t all meant to be funny; yes, Ronnie’s clonazepam is played for jokes, but it also looks eerily like psycho-pharmaceutical product placement. There’s no mistaking the film’s larger message, even while Queen is cranking away on the soundtrack. Rounding out this schizoid mash is a variably clownish supporting cast, which runs from Ray Liotta as a meanie policeman (with that face-splitting Goodfellas crackle) to an inexplicably lisping Michael Peña (“Ya gotta thmarten up!”).

A few of the less repeatable lines hit their marks, but the whole affair has the pasty-faced desperation of shoppers trapped in fluorescent light. Malls are not the most forgiving of places — for swimsuit buyers or action-comedies. But we knew that from Paul Blart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
Mall Cop had me rolling on the floor. I love slapstick silly comedy. I don't think it will be as funny because that fat man James is a funny actor.

[WallyW]

Haven't seen the movie yet but judging from the trailer I would say the movies look pretty similar. I will wait for this one on dvd or netflix. I saw Paul Blart and was a little disappointed. It was a good story but with Kevin James in the movie I was expecting to laugh more than I did.

[Xray]

It was the same as Mall Cop, but with more F-words and male nudity. Otherwise, similar movies.

[ken]

Originally Posted by Xray

male nudity.

What the hell

[The_Disturbed_One]

Originally Posted by Xray

It was the same as Mall Cop, but with more F-words and male nudity. Otherwise, similar movies.

So, its basically a generic Seth Rogen flick.

[WatUpDawg]

I liked it, but I haven't seen Paul Blart, and yes it is a Rogan flick. There is at least 5 minutes worth, if not a little more minute wise of a fat guy running through the mall with only a trench coat on. I was laughing my ass off at it, the inidan cream salesman and Michael Pena had good parts...and Anna Farris was pretty good too.

[AWitty]

I was curious about this. Found that it was weird how close the two were released. I know now to wait and just see it on dvd. Thank you very much.

[WhiteCrowUK]

Why does Hollywood do this? You wait years for an "asteroid about to hit Earth" movie and you usually get 2 ...

Armageddon vs Deep Impact
Volcano vs Dantes Peek
Independence Day vs Mars Attacks

[fadeout001]

To compare Independence Day against Mars Attacks is like trying to compare Hot Shots with Top Gun. Independence Day was meant to be serious, grounded and realistic, and tried to be a good movie. Mars Attacks was meant to be a B rated stupid comedy. While not on spoof level it was just barely above the line. But the fact is that they went in wanting to make a dumb B rated alien war movie that was mostly comical which is what makes that movie great, cheesy, and genius all at the same time.

[nugunz]

^Couldn't agree more, fadeout man.