 | | | Jonah Hill, Ben Stiller, Richard Ayoade and Vince Vaughn star in The Watch.
Photos: Melinda Sue Gordon - TM & (c) 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
| | | | | | Does a great cast guarantee a funny movie?
Everyone could use a strong comedy and enjoy a few laughs at the movie theatre after the tragic shooting on July 20 in Aurora, Colorado. Our hearts go out to the victims, their families and the community.
From the outside, The Watch has all the elements to become this century's Ghostbusters with funny guys Ben Stiller (Meet the Fockers), Vince Vaughn (Dodgeball) and Jonah Hill (Superbad) forming a neighborhood watch team after a bizarre killing at their local Costco. Yes, they do end up battling a gooey alien.
The Watch is the perfect example, however, of excess not being the guarantee of a funny movie.
Yes, you might laugh at the Costco jokes but what could have been a humorous PG13 comedy like Ghostbusters, The Watch pushed the envelope with sexual and potty-oriented jokes to earn an R rating. What else can be expected from co-writer Seth Rogen (Superbad, Pineapple Express)?
Does adding more sugar to the cake make is taste better? Unfortunately, The Watch had potential but falls short.
Derek Zemrak is a Film Critic, Film Producer and Founder of the California Independent Film Festival. You can follow Derek on Twitter @zemrak for the latest Hollywood news.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA