Sausage Party (2016) Review

It's another morning at local supermarket Shopwell's, and confident, excitable wiener Frank has only two goals for the day: to end up with Brenda, a neighboring hot dog bun, and to be handpicked by the hands of the "gods" themselves. According to legend, those who are chosen to take the journey to the great beyond will experience pure bliss, being treated like royalty while surrounded by their utmost desires. After one fateful, but rather messy day, the two find themselves separated from their packs, while the rest of their respective groups of friends are taken away to the promised land. Banding together with a whiny bread product named Sammy Bagel Jr. and a rather grumpy Vash named Lavash, the group set out on an adventure that will expose a horrifying reality for all consumable items that could change the very means of their own fragile existence and once-thought perfect future.



Honestly, after pasting that poster and typing up that synopsis seen above, how does one even properly start a review about a theatrical release such as this? Admittedly, conjuring up something worth saying about a film that was most likely born out of way too much free time and entirely way too much marijuana and psychedelic use is far more difficult than it sounds. Writer/producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who at this point on are the furthest things from strangers to regular cinephiles, seemingly have some of the biggest balls in the entertainment industry. They have not only managed to keep the idea of the "stoner comedy" alive and well, but recently even managed to finally adapt one of the most popular comic books of all time to television after so many before them attempted or failed to do so. Conceptualizing and realizing a motion picture such as Sausage Party is just so incredibly strange though. After all, an animated tale about food that must band together once they realize that their ultimate fate is to end up inside the mouths and stomachs of those who they once cherished and revered? That....is a really, really silly basis for any big screen show that cost nineteen million dollars to make. In fact, it borders on just plain idiotic, with the possibility of this series of niche jokes wearing thin after a shockingly short amount of time has passed.


Thankfully, Sausage Party, directed by animation veteran Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2, Monsters vs Aliens) and relative newcomer Greg Tiernan, is also incredibly, absurdly funny. In fact, next to February's Deadpool (the argument for which flick is more crude will certainly pop up soon), I can't recall a time this year where I laughed this much in a theater. A sizable chunk of the movie's humor is built off of running with the "ridiculous" factor, managing to appeal to a wider array of fans than even those who viewed the trailer would believe that it could accomplish. True, most audiences will still consist of real-life counterparts of those who we saw throughout pictures like Half Baked and Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle, but it won't be made up of solely dopes like some critics think that it will be. It's like picking up a cheap item on the menu from a restaurant that you expect to be at least decent, but are surprised that its taste and size is actually comparable to that of the more expensive entrees.


For a premise that looks fairly simple on paper, there actually is more going on in Sausage Party that one would suspect. There are the food equivalents of race wars and divides, religious conflicts, and multiple discussions about sexuality that permeate throughout its crisp, smooth running time. Of course, the obvious hot dog and bun jokes are something that even your average eighth grader could come up with, as are some of the puns and one-liners from our primary antagonist of the picture (hilariously voiced by the supremely underrated Nick Kroll), but they're forgivable in the long run considering how many quips, one-liners, and amusing anecdotes manage to stick their landing so well. There is also a fairly funny allegory for arguments about one's views on deities. It also strays away from one of my very few fears that I had about the trailer by not shoving any sort of theme into the picture about not consuming certain products. Every single piece of produce, meat, spice, and sauce are treated equally in the film, and you feel horrible for any segment that involves their grisly demise. Mind you, there is a good chance that you will be laughing heartily during said sequences too like I was doing more times than I could count.


Some may complain that Sausage Party's animation is pretty average, and you wouldn't be incorrect. Hell, I can think of a myriad of pictures released by DreamWorks during the first half of the 2000s that look better than this. But if you were looking for that to be your main draw or attraction, then I believe that you are searching for the wrong type of flick. As one would also suspect, the voice cast is rather large and in fine form. Sure, Seth Rogen and his usual band of misfits and cohorts are here (ask me who in particular shows up, and I can answer "yes" to each guess before you even finish their full name), but after this many products have been released that feature his name attached to it, you should fully expect that. Some Saturday Night Live alumni also pop up, including Bill Hader (Trainwreck, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs) as an aged bottle of whiskey who somehow manages to convince me that one can smoke assorted things through a kazoo, and Kristen Wiig (Ghostbusters, Welcome To Me) as Frank's buxom, fluffy love interest. However, snagging veteran performers like Edward Norton (American History X, Fight Club) and Salma Hayek (From Dusk Til Dawn, Frida) could not have been an easy task. Then again, if I was the former actor, I might relish the chance to voice a bagel who utters the phrase "mashugana cunt" if the opportunity presented itself to me.


I am well aware that there are younger people who occasionally check out my own reviews, but I would say that as a closet one myself, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg are living proof that all stoners or potheads should not be stereotyped. Heck, movies like this were made to be enjoyed with friends who are equally sick-minded and willing to drink a beer or partake in smoking something that should not be illegal before the screening takes place. Sausage Party is a much more well-crafted project than it has the right to be, balancing outrageous, vulgar humor with some heart, a clever script, and a fairly good message about solidarity during times of chaos and violence. Oh, and its third act manages to jump the shark in the type of manner that drives it from "good" to "great." In a way, it's the foulmouthed, deranged cousin of another animated release from earlier in the year that also had fine intentions and preached what we all need to be hearing in this tough climate that we are waiting for to be over in several months from now.



Let's just hope that's the last time I ever compare a motion picture from Disney to another film containing rampant use of bath salts though.

This Is The End Review

Actor Jay Baruchel arrives in Los Angeles, intent on spending the weekend with his old friend and comrade, fellow actor Seth Rogen. At first, the two enjoy a fun, quiet weed and video game-filled day together at the Knocked Up star's abode, but Rogen convinces the hesitant Baruchel to attend a housewarming party at the home of actor James Franco. While the celebration continues to spiral out of control and make Baruchel feel uneasy, things start to unravel and fall apart around the large city, leading to an earthquake and multiple disasters, which convinces several guests at the party that the end times may be upon us.


This one's trailers made me incredibly nervous. Sure, I love most of the cast involved, and the concept certainly isn't off-putting to a viewer like me, but the chances of This is the End turning into one giant in-joke or a large vanity project were incredibly high. For every Curb Your Enthusiasm, there's always going to be The Paul Reiser Show.


Surprisingly, the ninth collaborative effort from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (not counting their work on television shows like Da Ali G Show) does its job well of, you know, making you laugh and entertaining you for one hundred and seven minutes. There are moments where it ALMOST veers into vanity territory, but it manages to ground itself rather quickly, seemingly reminding itself that your goal is the greater amusement of millions, rather than a small handful. To quote an older classic, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I imagine it takes a special kind of chemistry to make your ninth time working together not completely boring, as they seem to rarely miss when working together. And before you mention The Green Hornet, keep in mind, I did say "rarely."


I imagine choosing who would be a more prominent and featured character in this film must've been a nightmare, either due to not wanting to play favorites, or perhaps due to certain actors and actresses not being available for extended periods of time. This is certainly the most amount of screen time you'll ever see from Jay Baruchel. Normally he's a background player, or the sidekick to the more successful and arguably more famous celebrity. Seth Rogen and James Franco do what they do, and the latter seems to be having a ball playing a more exaggerated and arrogant version of himself. Come to think of it, everyone is definitely playing an exaggerated version of themselves, though anyone who viewed the trailers beforehand could have told you this. Curiously, I would love to find out if Michael Cera is really a cocaine-addicted sex hound, or if Craig Robinson is the type of individual willing to drink his own urine if necessary. I was disappointed that Emma Watson's and Danny McBride's screen time isn't nearly as long as one would like (not a spoiler!), especially considering how many of the film's biggest laughs come from the latter. Speaking of laughs, this may have been the funniest I've seen Jonah Hill be in quite a long time, or at least since Get Him to the Greek. In the latter half of the movie, there are two scenes that parody Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist which may be able to get laughs out of even the most hardened of comedy fans. I'd even go so far as to say it was his best comedic role since Superbad.


As I stated though, the film is far from some sort of comedic masterpiece. Some jokes elicit more chuckles than actual laughs, but very few parts flat out misfire. Even the random cameos pay off, especially one towards the end that will shock quite a number of younger females in the audience. Yes, cameos among a film with actors playing themselves. Quite silly and kind of asinine, I know. The film is also surprisingly bloody, which may upset those who can't stomach darker moments in their comedies, and the camera angles and techniques used during the apocalyptic scenes in the beginning can make some viewers feel disjointed.


This is the End does make for a good overall time in...no, I REFUSE to make that pun. I'll just say the film is quite amusing, it isn't too long, and if you can catch a matinee with some friends, you should have a good time. Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty darn awesome too, minus that terribly boring new Black Sabbath song played in the end credits.


That record, however, along with several 2013 releases, is subject for another post in the future.