New parents Mac and Kelly Radner have settled into a relatively sedated, quiet, and mostly risk-free life. Instead of partaking in excess or celebrations with coworkers and acquaintances, they hesitantly stay home and play with their daughter. During one particular afternoon, the Radners witness a sizable fraternity, the notoriously rowdy and audible Delta Psi, moving in next door. Over the coming days, the couple begin to face a magnitude of problems from their new nearby residents, and sooner or later, it could mean trouble for all involved.
Before I attempt to type several cohesive or readable paragraphs for Neighbors, I must preface this review by getting one thing off of my chest: I really, REALLY do not like fraternities. Though I am slowly approaching the wonderful age of thirty, and still do love to occasionally party or have a generally good time with friends and cohorts, I've never seen the appeal of a fraternity or "frat house." I always assumed that most of the people found throughout were cro-magnon dullards with no sense of how to act outside in the normal world, and their choice of music to blare was far too obnoxious for my taste. Then again, I am the one going to the oh-so-pleasantly named Maryland Death Fest for the third time within two weeks, so this is obviously up for debate.
For the purists and general worrywarts reading, you can rest easy knowing that this has no relation to the 1981 comedy of the same name, which starred John Belushi (no stranger to the realm of movies featuring fraternities) and comic legend Dan Aykroyd, pre-going insane and thinking that UFOs are real. This flick's original titles included Townies and Bad Neighbors, and I can assume that the latter was nixed due to a very similarly titled episode of The Simpsons that exists, wherein Bart and Homer commence a prank war with new neighbor George H.W. Bush. Come to think of it, that particular episode shares quite a bit in common with this motion picture, at least in terms of one house playing outrageous practical jokes on another and the old guard feuding with a "fresher" and unexpectedly louder crew of people. True, that particular prank war was limited to what Fox would allow, and I'm sure that some of the vulgar and admittedly hilarious moments seen here (it earns its "R" rating and then some), along with the equally amusing struggles of reluctantly growing up, could have meant cancelation for that series during its prime (as opposed to now, when we desperately need it to occur). Seth Rogen and wife Rose Byrne play a fairly fun older couple who don't seem to be as content with living a newer life than one would expect, even if one has to suspend their disbelief that Rogen and Byrne would ever be married, even on film. There's also a plethora of comedic talent around them, including James Franco's younger brother Dave, Hannibal Buress, and an abundance of cameos that you may miss if you blink once or twice, or if you're not a regular television viewer. Heck, it even manages to pull out an entertaining and earnest performance from Zac Efron.
On the subject of all things sincere, I've harped on before about nearly all previous projects from the duo of Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen not being without heart, but as with their last theatrical release, the quite riotous This is The End, this particular one doesn't throw you a sudden curveball and get overly sentimental or go from zero to one hundred in the realm of awkwardness. True, it isn't without feelings or a heart, and does a surprisingly good job at humanizing the two main fraternity heads (Zac Efron and Dave Franco) without it feeling forced, but it seems to retreat back from ever baring too many emotions and jumps right back into the "dick, vagina, and fart joke" formula that is guaranteed money with this fanbase. Sadly, this does present a minor problem. Neighbors doesn't quite know who you should be feeling empathy towards, as both parties do have their ups and downs, and its own younger audience may leave feeling conflicted or disappointed with some of outcomes in the third act. I know that Goldberg and Rogen didn't have much or any involvement whatsoever with the script here, and it does tend to show once you discover this little fact. Not every joke manages to hit it out of the park, and nothing even comes close to the (arguable) brilliance of earlier efforts like Superbad or Knocked Up. Thankfully, Rose Byrne is infinitely more relatable and MUCH funnier to watch and listen to than the throughly annoying Katherine Heigl, and I'd go so far as to say this is the Australian actress' finest comedic performance to date. I should think that the aforementioned statement alone may raise its chances of a repeat viewing tenfold, even if it isn't an immediate one.
As with any fairly well made motion picture, Nicholas Stoller's Neighbors does try to challenge your own opinions and conceptions of this curiously popular culture, or even of settling down into the opposite end of the spectrum for what most consider a boring lifestyle called adulthood. In some regards, it could cause the more uptight folks walking into a screening to change their own minds. I haven't seen many comedies at all in 2014, but I do plan on changing that over the course of the next two weeks (though I must pry myself away from the WWE Network). So far, Neighbors isn't a bad way to start off a season that will contain blazingly hot temperatures or pollen driving you berserk. If you have a free afternoon and aren't basking in the glory of the sun, or just want some fairly sick laughs from a film that provides a dildo fight and Seth Rogen having to milk another human being, give this one a whirl.
…….I sure do hope that I never have to type the words "dildo fight" in any future reviews. Or give anyone the thought of Seth Rogen milking somebody who is lactating…….
…….Sorry…...
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