Observe and Report

Say this for Jody Hill’s disturbing black comedy Observe And Report: When it’s over, you know you’ve seen something. Something of a cross between the formalist whimsy of Wes Anderson and the God’s-lonely-man psychosis of Taxi Driver, the film breaks all the rules, but the tonal schizophrenia that results isn’t an accident. Hill means to unsettle viewers by confusing the fantasies of an overzealous mall security guard with the bitter, down-to-earth reality of his pathetic, unhinged desperation. The trouble with Observe And Report is that Hill tries to have it both ways: He presents a ...

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I know what you're thinking. How? Well, I'm just that good. Also, there is this very common nature in all movie-goers, wherein we seek to judge a movie by placing it in context with other, similar movies. In fact, that is pretty much the essence of being a "film critic" or "reviewer." Aside from those with the ability to provide a unique perspective on a film or change the way we think about film as a whole, most of us just try to play the contextualizer. And one thing that you will undoubtedly read a lot if you are doing some risk assessment on spending your money to see Jody Hill's Observe and Report this weekend, it is that it is just another mall cop movie, and we've already seen that this year with Paul Blart: Mall Cop. The truth is that aside from the fact that they are both movies about mall cops -- in
Neil Miller

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Even the Rat Pack had an entourage—the hangers-on who show up in many of the same films or productions, but never achieved group title status.  As does modern-day Hollywood’s “Frat Pack,” made up of the leading men in the comedy genre.  While there are only seven official members of the unofficial group, there are many friends of the Frat Pack that might be considered “junior members.”
The curly-haired funny man Seth Rogen is one of the Frat Pack’s pals and has gained himself a bona fide Hollywood reputation since his early days on the fast-cancelled television show, Freaks and Geeks.  After some minor roles in major Frat Pack flicks, Rogen gained speed—his latest comedy, Observe and Report, has got him in the lead role as a bipolar mall security guard.
The premise probably sounds familiar, as it’s a similar character to the Kevin James movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop,
Erin Burris

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