Review of Seth Rogen's NEIGHBORS
It's Seth Rogen versus Zac Efron in director Nicholas Stoller's new comedy Neighbors. What you saw in the trailer is what you get in the movie. So if you liked the marketing materials, then chances are you'll enjoy watching this movie. I was completely entertained from start to finish, but I'm the kind of guy who appreciates Rogen's style of comedy.
The story follows a couple with a newborn baby who invest all of their money in a house to start living the American dream. Everything looks like it's going to be great for the small family until a fraternity moves in next door. The fraternity has a dream of their own, and that dream is throwing the biggest and craziest party in the history of the frat.
Rogen and his wife try to work things out with the frat, even trying to be friends in the beginning, but things don't pan out the way they hoped. A dirty war begins between the family and the frat with each side trying to make the other's lives a living hell. They end up doing some pretty awful things to each other, but that's where a lot of the great comedy in the film comes into play.
I normally don't care for Efron and his films, but this is one of the most enjoyable movies he's done. He played the president of the fraternity, and he fit the role so well. It was believable that he could be that guy. Rogen was great as always, Dave Franco was actually really funny, and it's always fun to see Rose Byrne do comedy.
When it comes to comedies like this, you pretty much know what to expect. Sometimes they turn out to be good, sometimes they're bad. This wasn't the greatest comedy ever made, but it delivered the laughs, and when it comes to a comedy that's what matters most. It may have had some weak story points, and the ending may not have been the best, but the movie succeeded in making me laugh, so it wins in my book.