Plot: What’s it about?
I find it simply amazing how different studios seem to put “twin” movies out in the same calendar year. Think “Tombstone” and “Wyatt Earp” back in 1993 or “Dante’s Peak” and “Volcano” in 1997 and now we have “Observe and Report” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” in the same year. Truthfully, I had no idea that there was that much call for a film about a mall security guard, let alone two but it goes to show you what I know. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” was released back in January and became an unexpected hit, grossing over $100 million dollars in a time when films generally don’t do that well. Granted the movie was a bit more family-friendly than the raunchier “Observe and Report” but the same general themes still applied. Now I’m sure that planning on both movies was done well in advance and it’s obvious that “Observe and Report” wasn’t made in eight weeks as a quick copycat movie. Still, with two such similar mainstream movies out there, one has to stand above the other – right?
Seth Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a mall security guard who takes his job just a bit too seriously. He’s got a crew of wannabees at his disposal and Dennis (Michael Pena) as his loyal confidant. But all isn’t well in the mall as a rogue flasher is making his rounds around the parking lot, showing his goodies to many unexpecting females. Naturally this is a problem and Ronnie believes he has what it takes to bring the flasher to justice. Unfortunately for him, he misses his window and the real police are brought in to seal the deal. Grizzled Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) is put in charge and with Ronnie at his side, the two despise each other eventually. More to the point, there have also been a number of robberies in the mall and Harrison is put in charge of that as well. Taking a backseat to all this drama is Ronnie’s pursuit of Brandi (Anna Farris), a surly and aloof saleswoman at a department store. Will Ronnie catch the bad guy and save the day or will it be yet another setback in his pathetic life?
I won’t lie, “Observe and Report” had several instances in which I literally laughed out loud. The humor is far darker and more raunchy than “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” which actually had somewhat of a tender side to it. I suppose we can assume anything with Seth Rogen in a leading role will be more on the more vulgar side; not that there’s anything wrong with that as he’s made a good career out of being vulgar. If you can get past the backdrop of the mall security motif then it’s not that bad of a movie. I don’t know how much repeat viewability it has unlike “The 40 Year Old Virgin” or “Pineapple Express” but that’s just me. Look for a cameo by the one and only Danny McBride, who always seems to turn up in a Seth Rogen film. If you’re looking for more of a family film with the same theme, go the “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” route, otherwise this one is for you.
Video: How does it look?
Warner’s 2.35:1 VC-1 HD transfer is certainly nothing short of stellar. And it should be, “Observe and Report” is a new to Blu-ray film with backing from a major studio. Colors are generally bold and consistent throughout, though a few of the scenes seem to be a bit washed out. Fleshtones are warm and natural as well. As can be expected, detail is impressive with fine deliniation being right on the mark. The film, by and large, is set in the mall and thus makes for a subdued color palette. Still everything looks good, as expected, and I don’t think viewers will be left wanting more in terms of video.
Audio: How does it sound?
With other studios moving more and more to DTS Master Audio, a majority of Warner’s releases still contain a Dolby TrueHD track. Truthfully, this track isn’t too memorable and it’s about average as far as surround effects go. Granted there are a few scenes when gunfire is used and I do recall being somewhat impressed. For the most part, the film is dialogue driven and this uncompressed soundtrack does a good job at making everything seem nice and natural. I’m at somewhat at a loss for how to really describe the sound other than…average.
Supplements: What are the extras?
While not the most robust supplemental package out there, “Observe and Report” does contain some decent supplements. Notably the picture-in-picture commentary with Rogen, Anna Farris and director Jody Hill. I’m becoming more of a fan of this particular feature and it’s a shame it’s not used more often. We also have two featurettes: “Basically Training” which is mainly a montage of Seth Rogen shots and some behind the scenes footage with him as well. There’s also a recruitment video from Forest Ridge Mall (the fictitious mall in the film, though I have to believe that somewhere out there a real “Forest Ridge Mall” does exist), which is clever. Lastly we get some outtakes between Seth Rogen and Anna Farris. There’s also a gag reel and a trio of additional scenes included as well as second disc containing a digital copy of the movie.
