Worth the wait, this action comedy about two slacker buddies who kidnap a pizza delivery guy, strap a bomb to his chest, and force him to rob a bank, bringing his buddy into the picture made Jack and me laugh out loud a lot. With lots of mayhem and car chases, and another great line and/or sight gag every few minutes, the second feature directing gig for Zombieland's (do you remember how much we both liked it?) Ruben Fleischer is so dumb it's clever, from a script by newcomer Michael Diliberti, who was assistant to big-time producer Scott Rudin on three productions then wrote this from a story by himself and Matthew Sullivan (he has a cameo as "Random Tanning Guy"). It seems as if they wrote the role of pizza guy Nick specifically for Jesse Eisenberg (I listed my favorites in The Social Network), who plays it as a smart 26-year-old whose life may be over before he's done anything about it. Early in the movie Nick says, "I never go on Facebook" as a wink to his much more famous and more critically acclaimed role. Aziz Ansari (best known as Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation, he was also in Funny People and Get Him to the Greek) is hilarious as Nick's excitable friend Chet. Then, as the lead bad guy, Danny McBride, an acquired taste I have yet to acquire (I hated the movies and his characters in Pineapple Express, and Observe and Report, as well as the pilot of Eastbound and Down) is actually pretty funny as narcissistic trigger-happy lout Dwayne. Nick Swardson (Blades of Glory (2007), You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Just Go With It, more) is also good as Dwayne's smarter-than-he-seems buddy Travis. With fine support from, among others, Fred Ward (my faves: The Right Stuff (1983), Silkwood (1983), Henry & June (1990) as Henry Miller, The Player (1992), Short Cuts (1993), and Sweet Home Alabama (2002)) as the Major, Michael Peña (after I listed my favorites in The Lincoln Lawyer we liked and liked him in Everything Must Go) as a gang banger, and Bianca Kajlich (I haven't seen her series Rules of Engagement, nor do I remember her from Boston Public, 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), or Bring It On (2000)) as his girlfriend, a stripper named Juicy who appears topless.
I didn't realize the story seems to be based on a true tragedy. Yikes. Set in and shot mostly in Grand Rapids, Michigan (the rest in other places in that state), it's short, like Zombieland, at 1 hour 23 minutes.
There is apparently a score by Ludwig Goransson, who scored the TV shows Community and Happy Endings, but you're unlikely to notice, because of all the action-appropriate songs. I counted, but can't remember the number anymore. Someone online made a list of some of them, though, and here it is:
Tick Tick Boom - The Hives
Sure Shot - Beastie Boys
I Promise - Generationals
Where I'm Going - Cut Copy
Laredo - Band of Horses
Ignition Remix - R. Kelly
Is There Any Love - Kid Cudi
No Hay Manera (Jason Roberts Remix) - Akwid
Jumper - Third Eye Blind
The Stroke - Billy Squier
Heat is On - Glenn Frey
Ante Up - M.O.P
Baby I Got Your Money - Ol' Dirty Bastard
Me So Horny - 2 Live Crew
We really liked this in defiance of critics, who averaged only 42% positive reviews on rottentomatoes, while 68% of audiences enjoyed it, making it #11 at the box office last weekend after three weeks. And don't rush out of the theatre afterwards. There's a terrific bonus right before the lights come up.
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