Thankfully every once in a while there is truth in advertising, and simply put, if Neighbors even remotely seems like the type of raunchy film you’ll enjoy from what you’ve seen via trailers or TV spots, you’re right. It is exactly the kind of movie for you. I’m happy to say the film delivers what you want from a irreverent college humor comedy.
There are far worse things than a schlub versus stud comedy from the guys who brought us the laugh riot This Is The End that pits Seth Rogen against Zac Efron.
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne play Marc and Kelly Radner, a married couple with a newborn who decide it’s time to take on a quiet life in the suburbs. All that seems completely fair and attainable until the boys from Delta Psi Beta begin unloading a moving truck next door.
Early efforts to both maintain a quiet environment and not seem so old in the eyes of the fraternity, like providing them with a joint and partaking in one of their all night ragers, prove futile when inevitably the Animal House lifestyle supersedes neighborhood tranquility. Marc and Kelly are forced to outsmart and ruin the frat led by the smug Teddy Sanders (Efron) and his loyal second-in-command Teddy (Dave Franco).
The plot runs pretty straightforward from that point on, which comes pretty quickly, and that’s fine. Comedies as a rule shouldn’t be burdened with a over thought plot, and Neighbors consistently hits all the right marks as a laugh out loud romp. As Marc and Kelly scheme to pull the plug on the 24-hour party going on next door, whether it be by tipping off the police or the college dean (Lisa Kudrow) about their antics, driving a rift in between the bond of brotherhood, or going for straight up sabotage, the brothers and their pledges are right there to with counter punches that make for a riotous back and forth of who can screw over who for the win.
Beyond the raunchy comedy that primarily moves the movie forward, it’s Marc and Kelly’s relationship that is the soul of the film. We have a couple that really truly love each other. They are content with their roles as new parents, which entails a constant lack of sleep and a sad state of their sex life. What makes Marc and Kelly awesome here is that they are two peas in a pod, who are for the most part always on the same page when it comes to their necessary diabolical schemes to best the bad boys next door. Rogen and Byrne’s chemistry as a couple is one of the unexpected strengths of Neighbors.
Rogen also has the opportunity to take his own Seth Rogen-ess down a few notches, not relying on his famous laugh and the lovable dweeb persona you come to expect from him on the big screen. This is probably the most down the middle role he has played in years, and its good to see he can pull it off as a relatable suburban dad. Byrne as a Australian protective mama bear also wins big points for the ease of delivering profane dialogue and a hitting it big as a seductress who can get down and dirty at a college kegger.
Efron, who is in intimidatingly buff shape and doesn’t miss an opportunity to go shirtless, gives a surprising performance here, balancing the stereotypical frat boy asshole with subtle unexpected deep insecurity. Overall Efron’s Sanders doesn’t play into the broad annoying caricature of a ring leader that tends to be the antagonist in this type of film. Along with Franco (who was one of the few highlights of Scrubs‘ swan song season on ABC), play off well from one another, even in a throwaway scene where they provide impressions of Robert DeNiro’s various movie characters.
Director Nicholas Stoller, whose previous credits include Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek, maintains his solid track with this smarter than your average bear comedy that packs the laughs in all the right places. Neighbors also wisely doesn’t overstay its welcome, weighing in with a tight 96 minute running time.
On the surface Neighbors easily could come off another brainless comedy, but it’s actually a solid fun ride that manages to provide a lot of laughs, the expected amount of excessive crude humor, and a cast that brings it all together. Its straightforward plot boasts some worthy twists and tuns in order to get the upper hand and pushes it above many movies of the same ilk. It’s not out to re-invent the wheel on the R-rated frat movie genre, but it covers its bases with what you’d hope for from this type of film and ultimately holds its own as a modern day Animal House, a worthy companion to Old School and simply makes for a great laugh busting night out at the movies.
Neighbors opens in theaters on May 9th.
REVIEW RATING: ★★★★★
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Lisa Kudrow
Screenwriters: Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O’Brien
Studio: Universal Pictures
Rated: R
Running Time: 96 minutes
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