When I walked into the theater to see Neighbors, I did so with it being one of my most anticipated films of the summer and with the promise of it being a raucously good time. For the most part, Neighbors delivers on this promise with its hilarious jokes, wonderful performances and sincerity. Though the movie does lose a big chunk of steam in it’s later half, the movie’s sly observations about parenting and relationships is more than enough to keep it afloat and make it an enjoyable film.
Neighbors tells the story of Mac and Kelly Radnor and their battle against a fraternity that moves next door. After moving to what they think is a quiet nice neighborhood, the couple is treated to a shock when the Delta Psi Beta fraternity of the local college moves next door. At first everything is pleasant with the couple hanging with the frat bros, but once they call the cops, the gloves come off and an all out war begins.
There is much to talk about with the script of this film, but I should probably start with the fact that it is laugh out loud funny. Neighbors finds every cliche and twists it, giving you joke after joke that lands and new situations with the frat and their war against the couple that keep the film moving. Neighbors also includes quite a bit of pathos. The script might get foolish quite often, but the movie is surprisingly sincere when it comes to parenting and the affect having a child can have on a couple.
My main issue with the movie is that in the second half it sort of let off of the gas, while giving the appearance it was still speeding forward. There are some hilarious moments (that Rogen-Efron fight!) and some sincere ones but many of those felt too lumped together and the movie didn’t do a good enough job early in selling some character beats to make some of them work for me. I also think the ending, while bat shit crazy, sort of wrapped things up too neatly and calmly for what had gone on before it. Not that this really hurt the film, just kept it from reaching true greatness.
Now onto the acting. My friends and Twitter followers joke about Zac Efron being “the best actor, bitch!” ever since a Zefron fan tried to accost me on Twitter, but I have to say that he’s dynamite in this film. So often movies rely on their lead being pretty to carry the film and though Zac is indeed very good looking, this movie allows him to channel so much more than good looks to craft a performance. Zac has real star charisma and he has to use every ounce of it to sell the character with the least amount of redeeming qualities of anyone in this movie. It’s a great comedic turn, in part because Zac nails the nuances of the douchebro frat president, which ends up making the big moments such as the hulk rage fight he has with Rogen in the climax work so well.
Also, providing great support, and threatening to run away with movie are Dave Franco and Ike Barinholtz. Dave as the smart VP of Delta Psi Beta has managed to give yet another hilarious and somewhat restrained performance that relies more on his ability to be both sensitive and abrasive at the same time. His showdowns with Zac Efron were so great. Barinholtz, on the other hand, just lets his freak flag fly the moment he steps on screen as their recently divorced friend. I’ve loved Ike on the Mindy Project and he brings much of the same awesome and awkward energy to this film as he does to that show.
The character perhaps best served by this film is not any of the men, but Rose Byrne. Byrne was aces in Bridesmaids at playing the stuck up friend and generating comedy that way, but her performance in Neighbors is just another step forward for the actress in comedy. In what could have easily been a thankless part, Byrne rings out every bit of nuance and laughter from her character. She is both laugh out loud funny (that breast pumping sequence and her scheming at the black light party had me in stitches) and incredibly heartfelt (any scene where she’s contemplating how motherhood has really affected her). It’s great that she was able to do all of these things and still go toe to toe with Rogen and company.
Grade: ***/**** (B+)