Neighbors (2014) Review

Rated R (Pervasive Language, Strong Crude and Sexual Content, Graphic Nudity, and Drug Use Throughout)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 36 Minutes

Cast-

Seth Rogen-Mac Radner

Rose Byrne-Kelly Radner

Zac Efron-Teddy Sanders

Dave Franco-Pete

Ike Barinholtz-Jimmy

Carla Gallo-Paula

Christopher Mintz-Plasse-Scoonie

Jerrod Carmichael-Garfield

Halston Sage-Brooke

Craig Roberts-Assjuice

Hannibal Buress-Officer Watkins

Lisa Kudrow-Dean Carol Gladstone

Brian Huskey-Bill Wazowkowski

Liz Cackowski-Wendy the Realtor

Elise and Zoey Vargas-Stella Radner

Andy Samberg-Toga #1

Adam DeVine-Beer Pong Guy #1

Jake Johnson-Sebastian Cremmington

Directed by Nicholas Stoller

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne star as a married couple whose quiet life in the suburbs is interrupted by the arrival of a fraternity next door in Nicholas Stoller's "Neighbors."

Note: Screened on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

When I got the invite to see Nicholas Stoller's work-in-progress comedy "Neighbors" back in February, I didn't know what to expect. Of course, I knew it was going to be raunchy but my main concern was whether the film would be actually funny. Seth Rogen's particular brand of comedy has been largely hit-or-miss with me as there are times where I've found him too abrasive (like in 2011's ill-advised reimagining of venerable radio serial crime-fighter the Green Hornet) but when he's in a role that plays to his strengths, he can be absolutely hilarious. Despite my mixed feelings on Rogen, the biggest wildcard in "Neighbors" was Zac Efron. Women—specifically teenage girls—may go crazy over his baby blue eyes and perfectly formed pecs and abs but as an actor, he's been less than impressive. With only the poster as my frame of reference, I went into the screening of "Neighbors" and came out ninety minutes later in pain…because I was laughing so hard! In fact, I enjoyed Stoller's film so much that I recently saw it a second time in its completed form, although the only things that were missing in the work-in-progress version was some post-production effects and the end credits. We're barely two weeks into the summer movie season and already we have a strong contender for best comedy of 2014.

Married couple Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) are slowly adjusting to life in the suburbs with their newborn baby girl Stella but the family's hope for peace and quiet is shattered when the Delta Psi Beta fraternity—led by the incredibly ripped Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron)—suddenly moves in next door. Quickly realizing that the fraternity will throw lots of loud parties, Mac and Kelly agree to introduce themselves to the brothers and tell them to 'keep it down.' However, the couple also wants to emphasize their 'coolness' and give Teddy some weed as a peace offering of sorts. Teddy agrees to not make too much noise but if the fraternity does get too loud, he asks the couple to either call him or his vice president Pete (Dave Franco) instead of calling the police. This arrangement works at first but when Mac is unable to get ahold of Teddy one night to tell him to quiet down, his wife convinces him to call the police. This sparks a feud between the Radners and Delta Psi, a feud that soon escalates into a full-blown war as Mac and Kelly attempt to figure out a way to drive the frat out of the neighborhood while Teddy works to achieve party god immortality by landing on the fraternity's Hall of Fame.

In spite of its simple premise, which is perfectly summarized by the poster's 'Family vs. Frat' tagline, Nicholas Stoller's "Neighbors" is a laugh-riot from beginning to end and I mean to the end. Many mainstream comedies nowadays tend to abruptly shift into plot mode in the third act or shoehorn in a message but Stoller, working with writers Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien, prove themselves to be efficient storytellers by cutting out all the fat (the film clocks in at a lean ninety-six minutes with end credits) and giving the cast plenty of room to work their magic. However, Stoller doesn't forget that a comedy still requires characters that the audience needs to care about while they're laughing along. Amidst all the ridiculous hijinks is a story of a married couple and a hard-partying frat boy who are at a crossroads in their lives. The Radners have more or less accepted their new lives as parents yet they also want to retain the spontaneity they enjoyed in their youth. Hell, whenever the couple tries to have sex, Mac starts yelling, 'It's happening, it's spontaneous! Who could see this coming?!' They want to be seen as the cool, hip parents on the block, leading to a hilarious moment where the Radners are slow-walking toward the frat house with their baby in the stroller while Ini Kamoze's Here Comes The Hotstepper plays in the background. This isn't the film's funniest scene but I love the editing from Zene Baker, with each jump cut perfectly synched to the beat of the music. On the other side of the equation is Delta Psi Beta president Teddy Sanders, who's wild partying hides a deep uncertainty as graduation quickly approaches and he takes that first step into adulthood. He doesn't want to end up like Mac and is obsessed with landing on the frat's Hall of Fame, even though he can technically just give himself the trophy as Pete points out. The character is never outright villainous despite his terrorizing of the Radners and is at times oddly sympathetic with his strong sense of brotherhood. What's great about "Neighbors" is that these character beats are tightly woven into the comedy, allowing Stoller to continue playing things for big laughs.

Women will be delighted to hear that Zac Efron, who plays fraternity president Teddy Sanders, is frequently shirtless.

And big laughs are exactly what you get. From Mac and Teddy's epic dance-off to their room-destroying dildo sword fight in the film's last ten minutes, almost all of the jokes and set-pieces manage to hit their mark despite pushing the envelope of good taste more than a few times. This sense of consistency is not only rare but frankly remarkable for a studio comedy. For Stoller, no gag or punchline seems to be too outrageous as long as it's funny and it helps that Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are game for pretty much anything and everything. The two are immensely likable and endearing as a married couple because their characters are just so in sync with each other. Usually, it's the husband who childishly acts out while the wife exasperatingly tries to convince him to grow up and be more responsible (the film even pokes fun at this trope in one scene) but Byrne's Kelly is every bit as outraged (and foul-mouthed) as Rogen's Mac. She wants these noisy frat boys out of the neighborhood just as much as he does and it's refreshing to see 'the wife' as an equal conspirator who uses her uniquely female perspective to her advantage. In fact, Byrne is the film's biggest scene stealer and standout as she transforms Kelly from an innocent suburban housewife into a manipulative and seductive she-demon.

Another standout is surprisingly Zac Efron, who throws himself into the role of Teddy Sanders, a caricatured frat boy, with wild abandon. The actor is well-paired with Dave Franco's Pete as one of the best scenes in the film is when the two endlessly ad-lib on the expression 'Bros before hoes' ('Brad Pitt before Brad Clit…Masturbate before ask-her-to-date…Man purse before regular purse…'). Later, Pete learns that Teddy hasn't fully accepted his 'bropology,' leaving him heartbroken considering the way they rhymed! Lending support is Ike Barinholtz as Jimmy, Mac's co-worker and best friend who tags along with the Radners as they devise new ways to bring the frat down. Barinholtz makes the most of his screen-time, particularly during an inspired bit where he does a spot-on impression of President Barack Obama. Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Jerrod Carmichael deliver their fair share of laughs while Lisa Kudrow, Hannibal Buress, Andy Samberg, and Jake Johnson show up in small roles and make even the slightest characters feel memorable.

Released on May 9, 2014, "Neighbors" has received largely positive reviews with 75% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that the 'bawdy humor [was] evenly spread between its well-matched stars,' allowing Stoller's film to 'earn its R rating—and filmgoers' laughs.' Knowing that they had a real winner on their hands, Universal began screening "Neighbors" as far back as February and premiered the film a month later at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas to a sold-out crowd. With strong word-of-mouth from hundreds of advance screenings, the film could potentially gross over $40 million during opening weekend. 2014 is far from over but I'm calling it right now: "Neighbors" is the comedy to beat this year.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"He looks like something a gay guy designed in a laboratory!"