It won’t take much to tell if NEIGHBORS is the film for you. If you couldn’t tell from the trailers or simply the inclusion of Seth Rogen, you’re in store for a raunchy comedy that’s ready to party. It’s certainly not going to win over anyone who’s going to be kicking and screaming the entire way there, but it also doesn’t really try to either. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. NEIGHBORS is a no-holds-barred comedy that aims for the college crowd and delivers on its goal. So if you’re in the mood, dust off those bongs, limber up for a keg-stand, and be ready to party hard until the sun comes-up. Noise complaints aren’t allowed.
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne are first-time parents who are coping with their newly changed lives while still maintaining some inkling of their former selves. Rogen still gets high with his buddy at work while Byrne has to fight the urge to go out to the club at night with her recently divorced friend. Their world takes yet another turn when a fraternity moves into the house next door to them. After a night of partying with the group – led by Zac Efron and sidekick Dave Franco – the two houses form a truce to keep the noise down and to NEVER call the cops. This truce is broken when Rogen’s failed attempts at contacting Efron one night leads him to call the cops and report a noise complaint. Now all the rules are off and all hell is let loose.
NEIGHBORS is basically one long demented game of chess fueled by sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. You have two sides in a cutthroat death match to break the rival opponent. Rogen and Byrne are struggling to defend their turf while the rowdy boys are attempting to throw a legendary party so that they can attain a spot on the coveted “history” wall of the fraternity – a sequence that showcases these hilarious events through history is one of the most memorable scenes I’ve seen on film this year. The back and forth antics between the two households does begin to feel a little repetitive after awhile. I understand that this is the point of course, but looking back at the film it does feel like one elongated skit. That being said, director Nicholas Stoller never makes the film feel boring as you witness the absurdity of the rivalry finally build to one giant blow-out; though smoke-out might be a more apt phrase.
The highlight of the film is Rose Byrne. She’s a delight on screen and her charming accent and subtle mannerisms go a long way. This is obviously familiar territory for Seth Rogen. At this point in is career he can do films like this in his sleep. His comedic timing is always on point even if the audience can predict his reactions and jokes before he even delivers them. What you might not expect though is the chemistry between the two leads. Genuineness is expressed in the scenes between the married couple, and it also doesn’t hurt that they have a cute kid that is frequently employed for the audience to goo-goo and smile at.
Unlike some modern comedies like last year’s over-praised THE HEAT, the humor on-display here relies more on sight gags and less on colorful foul language. You don’t hear “boner” jokes as much as you literally see “boner” jokes. Actually . . . you see several boner jokes, just to warn you. The writers are aware that clever name-calling and saying the word “fuck” isn’t going to elicit much of a reaction anymore from modern audiences. We’ve been there, heard that. At the same time, the gags can’t be too outrageous that it takes the audience completely out of the struggle between these real people. So there’s a fine line between giving audiences something new while still having it fit within the confines of the story. NEIGHBORS delivers in such a way that you’re laughing at the characters while simultaneously caring about the reality these characters are living in. It’s fun, raunchy, and incorporates just enough of a message that it could be seen as a companion piece to Adam McKay’s STEP BROTHERS. Both films explore the difficulties of getting older in a world that frequently asks us to abandon our childish ways. Except with NEIGHBORS, we see how an adult can function as a parent without completely missing the party.
3.5 out of 5
