Review of Neighbors

This movie was no Animal House! Directed by Nicholas Stoller, Neighbors or Bad Neighbors known internationally isn't that funny. Originally titled Townies; the movie is about Mac Radner (Seth Rogen) and his wife Kelly (Rose Byrne), trying to raise their newborn daughter in a quiet neighborhood. It was going well, for them, until one day, the couple, finds out that Delta Psi, a fraternity known for their outrageous parties, has moved next door. Leaded by Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron) and Pete Regazolli (Dave Franco), the fraternity is searching for the ultimate party that would give them, short-term fame. After a few loud parties, Mac and Kelly ask them to keep it down, only to have Delta Psi begin to constantly haze Mac and Kelly to dangerous lows. I have to say, the movie is just big irritating movie that really wants to push your buttons. The fraternity are certainly not the heroes, nor the really bad immature and irresponsible parents, Mac & Kelly who love to party hard, too. I get it, Kelly and Mac haven't yet quite accepted that parenthood will mean the end of their old, irresponsible life. It wasn't until meeting the frat, that they realize that. Still, just think if the parents were actually responsible adults conflicting young frat boys; it might be a lot better. Instead, both camps are really just horrible dumb unlikeable people for the most part. Honestly, I lost all respect for both characters half way through the film, as I couldn't root for any of them. Attempted murder & threats to a New Born Baby was just too dark for me to find funny. I know some comedies wouldn't fit in the tone of logic, but the movie tries really hard to be realistic, here, but fails badly. It's hard to believe that no one in the neighbor would mind their obnoxiously loud, all-night parties, besides the Mac's family. It defy logic even more with the movie lame excuse on not calling the cops. The movie even set up a theme about growing up and taking adult taking responsibility that somehow gets lost due to its skit to skit plot line. It was so disjointed that it barely manage to retain some vestige of a plot. Don't look for any smart or cleaver humor, here. Most of them are really cretin. The film camera work is pretty awful in the party scenes. It looks and felt like a really bad trip, with light potentially, that could trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Add the large amount of nudity, drugs use, and drinking that make you feel dirty for watching it. It's rated R, but feels more like a NC-17 film. Honestly, it's was made painful like a hangover, when you think how mean spirited and degrading, everybody is. There is a considerable amount of profanity that doesn't make it funnier. This comedy shows a lot of crude humor from a frat guy has his penis around a girl's neck, circle jerking, to a baby eating a condom, but for me, it was more misses than hits. None of it is in good taste and many will be offended many people. I do have a sense of humor, and find certain toilet humor, funny, but Seth Rogen pothead, perverted style of humor has gotten old, and felt out of place here. Don't get me wrong, Seth Rogen is definitely funny in certain movies. It's obvious that he doesn't appeal to everyone taste, but this was a void of humor. Talk about art imitating life, Zac Efron during filming had to go to rehab stint for substance abuse. I don't know if I call his acting, great. I don't really hate the guy. Efron seems to be playing a simple water down version of himself; here. Relying on good looks and charm rather than any real talent to make his way in the world. Rose Byrne is well-used in her role, but there was an oddly place, fake looking milking scene, that wasn't really needed to enforce the main plot. It just serve as an excuse for a gross-out. Another character, oddly place is Christopher Mintz-Plasse. I really don't remember any funny moments from him, at all. I do have to say, a character really noticeable is Ike Barinholtz as Jimmy. He really made the movie, fun for me. I do have to say, the baby Stella played by the Vargas Twins are just cute and adorable. I wish, they feature more of the baby into the plot, as it's seem really odd for the baby able to sleep well, during most of the loud parties. It seems that both Mac & Kelly were pretty neglectful of the baby, during these parties' revenge scenes. It seem the plot was hardly about the baby, but saying it was. Honestly, the ending was pretty cheesy. Without spoiling too much of it, I really don't see Mac & Teddy ever being friends again. Come on, he threaten your family, Mac!!! Overall: Mediocre as hell. If you saw the trailer. You saw the best bits of the film. While the humor, mostly appeal to the high school/college audience. I do believe that the jokes could had been retouch a bit, to appeal to a wider audience. It's OK to be a little vulgar, but when most of your material is, you risk offending and turning off a lot of viewers. Honestly, not a watchable movie without getting a little annoyed.