OBSERVE AND REPORT (2009, Blu-ray released September 22, 2009 – MSRP $35.99)
What do I say about the newest Seth Rogen comedy, Observe and Report on Blu-ray disc? It’s not a really funny film. It doesn’t have any truly likeable characters. The story isn’t dramatic or moving in any way. The photography is nothing to write home about. The music…I don’t even recall. Was there music? Sigh…Hold on…Let me down this bottle of scotch and try watching the film again. I have a feeling that being half-in-the-bag might just be the ideal state in which to consume Observe and Report.
Urgh. I really hate to be negative about this film. I mean, I really, really wanted to love it. I was so in the mood for another Pineapple Express or Knocked Up when I popped the Blu-ray disc into my PS3. I have found myself, in the past enjoying damn near every film that Seth Rogen touches! That guy has either got a gift for picking projects or he’s got himself one damn good agent! I consider Observe and Report a mere bump in the road for Seth Rogen. A learning experience. I point my finger in his direction, wag it a little and scold, “Now don’t do it again!” (I’m sure he’s paying attention.) Yeah, this movie just didn’t work for me at all. Okay, I laughed a few times. There are some good gags, here and there. But I found that nine times out of ten it just falls flat. That being said, a lot of my pals absolutely loved this movie. It’s a black comedy, an attempt at creating a “funny” Taxi Driver, constructed as a series of sketches, loosely strung together by a paper thin story.
Here’s the gist of it – Seth Rogen plays Ronnie, a jerk who happens to be a mall cop. Ronnie has dreams of being a real police officer and hooking up with Anna Faris‘ Brandi, a bitchy, plastic cosmetic counter princess. His mother is an unrepentant drunk and his best friend…well, I won’t spoil it for you. Let’s just say his best friend is also a jerk. Ronnie is on the job when a flasher strikes in the mall parking lot. He figures that breaking this “case” could be his ticket to a job with the Police force and to Brandi’s heart. Unfortunately for Ronnie, Detective Harrison, played by Ray Liotta, stands in the way of both dreams coming true.
Observe and Report looks and sounds all right on Blu-ray. I mean, this isn’t world class cinema here, so I wasn’t even looking for a great transfer or brilliant use of the soundstage. And what Warner delivers is certainly in line with the quality of the film itself. Aside from a little bit of black crush and some uneven detail, Observe and Report looks better than it deserves to on Blu-ray.
The disc is packed with special features, almost all of them exclusive to the Blu-ray release. I found it difficult to be engaged by any of them, however, as I wasn’t in love with the film. But kudos to Warner for their inclusion. The best of the bunch are the Seth Rogen and Anna Faris: Unscripted outtake featurette and the picture-in-picture commentary with director Jody Hill and the stars. It’s fascinating to watch Rogen and crew creating these scenes through the outtakes. I never would have guessed that so much of Observe and Report s dialogue was created through improvisational work on the set. The disc also features a making-of doc, a “Forest Ridge Mall: Security Recruitment Video“, deleted scenes, a gag reel and more!
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