Movie Review: The Interview
One of this year’s most prominent films came jam-packed with enough publicity to make Shia LeBeouf famous again. “The Interview” the latest action-comedy movie from hilarious duo Seth Rogen and James Franco, sparked quite the commotion when its official Christmas Day release was canceled due to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was no coincidence that the hack came at this time, as “The Interview” is centered around a fictional interview with a satirized version of the North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. After major public backlash, including criticism from President Barack Obama, Sony agreed to give the film a limited release in theaters as well as online. I thank them for that decision because from under all the political controversy rose a movie so gaudily funny and immature that I really could not help but laugh out loud.
In this creative concoction of action, comedy and political satire, James Franco and Seth Rogen play a TV personality and a producer, respectively, who score an interview with Kim Jong Un, and are then tasked by the CIA with assassinating him to finally bring peace to the unstable nation of North Korea. Franco, who plays talk show anchor Dave Skylark, upon arriving in North Korea, immediately befriends Kim Jong Un, and forms a bond with him that proves problematic to their mission. Rogen, whose character, Aaron Rappaport, has been serving as Skylark’s Executive Producer for ten years, finds himself constantly in the shadow of Skylark’s greatness. Laughs ensue as the two are separated by their mission and, of course, reunite to save the day.
I challenge our readers to find a movie starring these two comedic geniuses that does not make them laugh at least a little; this one is no exception. Directed by the time-tested team of Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg, this film is both funny and self-aware – two aspects of film that are all too rare in today’s cinema culture. Although the film hinges on the performances of Franco and Rogen in their starring roles, it also features a handful of hilarious scenes with Lizzie Caplan, who plays Agent Lacey, the team’s supervisor, and Randall Park, who portrays the pudgy yet powerful Kim Jong Un. Park’s performance was stellar, and his dedication to the role brought the movie to new heights. Park’s fantastic job playing Kim Jong Un allowed the role to be not only funny, but also satirical enough to bypass any misgivings that viewers might have about the movie.
Although this movie is not what I would call a classic, it is still a great ride from beginning to end. The jokes were funny, the acting was great, and there were a few celebrity cameos that kept me on the edge of my seat. Keeping with their theme of stoner comedy, Franco and Rogen, along with Rogen’s writing partner, Evan Goldberg, have brought the world another movie that will make you chuckle, “Oh that movie? Yeah, it was pretty good.”