There are very few actors who I am guaranteed to be excited for and see any movie that they are in, no matter what that movie may be. Seth Rogen is one of those actors. He consistently stars in comedy movies that I consider to be among the best ever made, with the likes of 'Superbad', 'Pineapple Express' and last year's 'This Is The End' to name just a few. Upon hearing about 'Neighbors', I was immediately sold due to the great concept and the excellent cast that also includes the likes of Zac Efron, Dave Franco and Rose Byrne. I'm happy to say that 'Bad Neighbours' doesn't disappoint in the slightest, as it's a contender for funniest film of the year.
'Neighbors' tells the story of Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) who have a newborn baby and encounter trouble when a college fraternity moves into the house next door, led by Teddy (Zac Efron). As soon as I heard of this premise, I knew it had the potential to be very funny, and it is. The movie doesn't just rely on laughs though, at various points there wasn't any comedy but I was still engaged because the story is interesting and I wanted to see where it went next. I was also surprised that the movie had some pretty good thematic elements about growing old and the effect that it has on people.
The acting is phenomenal, which is as expected from such a great cast. Seth Rogen has impeccable comedic timing as always, and I suppose you could say that he's playing the same type of character that he usually does but he does a good job doing it, so who the hell cares? Rose Byrne is also great, this was a very different role for her than what I've seen her in before (the 'Insidious' movies and 'X-Men: First Class') but she proves she can do comedy really well. Zac Efron is excellent as he always is; if you're someone who still thinks he's a bad actor because of the 'High School Musical' movies then get over yourself and accept the fact that he's one of this generation's finest young talents. For me, it was Efron and Dave Franco who stole the show, with Efron providing a lot of the laughs and Franco giving the movie some much needed humanity.
Although this movie may not be as funny as, for example, last year's 'This Is The End', there are still some moments that are absolute comedic gold, including a fight scene towards the end of the movie that's absolutely incredible. Nicholas Stoller gives great direction, I was particularly impressed by the party sequences, which included amazing colour schemes and some very stylised cinematography and direction. While 'Neighbors' may not be an instant comedic classic like many other Rogen movies are, it's still incredibly funny and is a must see.
'Neighbors' tells the story of Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) who have a newborn baby and encounter trouble when a college fraternity moves into the house next door, led by Teddy (Zac Efron). As soon as I heard of this premise, I knew it had the potential to be very funny, and it is. The movie doesn't just rely on laughs though, at various points there wasn't any comedy but I was still engaged because the story is interesting and I wanted to see where it went next. I was also surprised that the movie had some pretty good thematic elements about growing old and the effect that it has on people.
The acting is phenomenal, which is as expected from such a great cast. Seth Rogen has impeccable comedic timing as always, and I suppose you could say that he's playing the same type of character that he usually does but he does a good job doing it, so who the hell cares? Rose Byrne is also great, this was a very different role for her than what I've seen her in before (the 'Insidious' movies and 'X-Men: First Class') but she proves she can do comedy really well. Zac Efron is excellent as he always is; if you're someone who still thinks he's a bad actor because of the 'High School Musical' movies then get over yourself and accept the fact that he's one of this generation's finest young talents. For me, it was Efron and Dave Franco who stole the show, with Efron providing a lot of the laughs and Franco giving the movie some much needed humanity.
Although this movie may not be as funny as, for example, last year's 'This Is The End', there are still some moments that are absolute comedic gold, including a fight scene towards the end of the movie that's absolutely incredible. Nicholas Stoller gives great direction, I was particularly impressed by the party sequences, which included amazing colour schemes and some very stylised cinematography and direction. While 'Neighbors' may not be an instant comedic classic like many other Rogen movies are, it's still incredibly funny and is a must see.