Observe and Report Review

Published by Jeff Leins on April 10, 2009

After the unexpected success of Paul Blart in January, the existence of another mall cop movie just three months later seems like cinematic redundancy.  On the surface the stories may even appear the same: a delusional security guard is awkward with women and dreams of a promotion to the real police force while thwarting a mall menace.  The similarities quickly end there.

Blart’s humor is broad and safe, while Observe and Report is the darkest of black comedies.  The R-rated movie is as bipolar as its protagonist, randomly mixing in bits of edgy hilarity with bouts of intense seriousness, which is a strangely uncomfortable experience for anyone unaware of what they’re getting into.

At the South by Southwest Festival premiere, a curious audience member asked their thoughts on a lame movie like Paul Blart sharing the same premise.  Writer/director Jody Hill seemed anxious to answer truthfully, but producer Donald De Line shook his head in an authoritative “no comment.”  Even if Warner Bros is willing to take risks on a ballsy, violent comedy, it won’t allow direct shots at its schlocky competition.  Which is a shame because Kevin James could use a proverbial punch to the fat gut after plopping his slapstick mediocrity down for the masses.  If you liked Paul Blart, you’re going to hate Ronnie Barnhardt.

In his sophomore outing, Hill (The Foot Fist Way, “Eastbound and Down”) has created another arrogant, abrasive character to carry out his dark fantasies for the twisted amusement of himself and anyone else warped enough to laugh.  His latest anti-hero is Ronnie (Seth Rogen), a mall security guard who flexes his mean-spirited authority on the unsuspecting shoppers unfortunate enough to enter his jurisdiction.  He is the epitome of every borderline psychopath who abuses the modicum of superiority a badge or (god forbid) a gun gives him.

When mallrat skateboarders set up in the parking lot, Barnhardt and his lisping sidekick Dennis (Michael Pena) aren’t afraid to step outside the law to deliver a beat down.  Saddled in his patrol golf cart, Ronnie rides around in a fantasy land where he believes he’s in control.  In reality, he doesn’t do much of anything.  Ronnie pesters kiosk employees, stalks the slutty cosmetics girl Brandi (Anna Faris), and bums free coffee off the cute food court chick (Collette Wolfe).

A serial flasher terrorizing female shoppers is too much for Ronnie and his ragtag “elite task force,” so the real police are brought in to investigate.  Ray Liotta plays another screaming character as the detective who sees Ronnie for what he really is: a piggish rent-a-cop whose misery is a joke to everyone else.

It’s abundantly clear that Hill has no qualms about challenging political correctness.  After essentially forcing Brandi to date him, they both get wasted on shots and pills before Ronnie takes her home to hump even as she lays there comatose.  She ultimately croaks out a punchline, but not before a stunned audience watches what may or may not be rape.  On top of that, the disturbing eruptions of violence bring to mind Taxi Driver and Oldboy, which play out in bloody detail in what started out as a comedy.

As Hill’s script progresses, it transitions from weird to trippy to an almost melancholic tone.  Like Foot Fist Way, what started off as laughing with Ronnie, then at him, eventually becomes maybe not so funny any more.  Satirical or not, some sections push the envelope to squirmy levels of messed up reality.  When a cruel prank turns into a depressing realization, one character remarks, “I thought this would be kind of funny, but it’s kind of sad.”  That’s how I felt as the movie wrapped itself up to the slow motion sounds of the Pixies’ “Where Is My Mind?”

While Observe and Report has it’s absolutely hilarious moments, the movie suggest Hill’s humor may be better suited in smaller doses on HBO’s hit show “Eastbound and Down.”  Luckily I’m as twisted as Hill, otherwise I would have missed the joke entirely.

3 out of 5.