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Movies / Upcoming / Observe and Report
Observe and Report

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Observe and Report (2009)

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Reviews Counted:181

Fresh:91

Rotten:90

Average Rating:5.4/10

Consensus: Though it has a mean streak, and does not cater to all tastes, Observe and Report has gut-busting laughs and a fully committed Seth Rogen in irresistible form.

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $23,993,605

Synopsis: At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the... At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt (SETH ROGEN) patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist. The master of his domain, he combats skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun.

Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn him a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi (ANNA FARIS), the hot make-up counter clerk who won't give him the time of day.

But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison (RAY LIOTTA) of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops.

Seth Rogen stars in the dark comedy Observe and Report, written and directed by Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way). Donald De Line (The Italian Job) will produce, with Andrew Haas (Without a Paddle), Marty Ewing (Blades of Glory), Thomas Tull (The Dark Knight) and Jon Jashni (Sweet Home Alabama) serving as executive producers. The film also stars Anna Faris (The House Bunny), Michael Pena (Million Dollar Baby), Celia Weston (Junebug) and Ray Liotta (The Rat Pack).

The behind-the-scenes creative team includes director of photography Tim Orr (Snow Angels), production designer Chris Spellman (Superbad) and editor Zene Baker (The Foot Fist Way). Music is by Joseph Stephens.

Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Legendary Pictures, presents a De Line Pictures Production, a Jody Hill Film, Observe and Report, . --© Warner Bros [More]

Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris

Starring: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe

Director: Jody Hill

Director: Jody Hill
Screenwriter: Jody Hill
Producer: Donald De Line
Composer: Joseph Stephens
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

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    Red Band Trailer
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    Show You the Way
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    Is There Really a Pervert Here?
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  • Are You OK, Brandi?
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    You Gonna Die
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    Medication
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    Party Like That
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1 - 4 of 9

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Reviews for Observe and Report

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Seth Rogen's wasted in this comedy of errors.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
04/10/09
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

There's nothing cute or predictable about Observe and Report. And that's precisely why it works.

Full Review Source: HollywoodChicago.com | comment 1 Comment
04/10/09
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
HollywoodChicago.com

Observe and Report is bold, raw and uncompromising. It's also an unqualified mess.

Full Review Source: What Would Toto Watch? | comment Comment
04/10/09
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
What Would Toto Watch?

In the end, Observe and Report falls in the somewhat confusing middle -- guaranteed to annoy the mainstream while not quite delivering the final twist and bitter irony the true comic cultists crave.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
04/10/09
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger

I'm not sure how many lovable schlubs Rogen agreed to play in Judd Apatow comedies to get this dark little piece made, but I'm delighted he took the risk.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
04/10/09
Mike Russell
Mike Russell
Oregonian

He’s creepy, offensive and irritating.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
04/10/09
Kansas City Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I am all for perverse and dark comedy, but is it too much to ask for it to actually be consistently funny?

Full Review Source: Watertown Daily Times | comment Comment
04/10/09
Adam Tobias
Adam Tobias
Watertown Daily Times

How much you're entertained will likely depend on your own taste as well as your appreciation for Hill's subversion of feel-good Hollywood norms.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
04/10/09
Kevin Williamson
Kevin Williamson
Jam! Movies

Mindless, silly and outrageously funny with hilarious, lively comedic performances and plenty of bold, inane and mean-spirited humor.

Full Review Source: NYC Movie Guru | comment Comment
04/10/09
Avi Offer
Avi Offer
NYC Movie Guru

A few of the less repeatable lines hit their marks, but the whole affair has the pasty-faced desperation of shoppers trapped in fluorescent light.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
04/10/09
Amy Biancolli
Amy Biancolli
Houston Chronicle

Director Jody Hill presents all of this as a comedy, somewhere between absurdist and black -- like Napoleon Dynamite meets Martin Scorsese.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
04/10/09
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

A sophisticated comedy about an unhinged doofus, Observe and Report falters under the weight of its ambitions.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
04/10/09
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

The tone of the film wavers queasily, though intentionally, between slapstick and shock.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/10/09
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

Writer-director Jody Hill is obviously trying to accomplish something here. But just what is none too clear.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
04/10/09
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News

Even for those who relish no-holds-barred humor, there's a point when the most outrageous, caustic comedy can slide from cutting and absurd to just plain mean.

Full Review Source: Fresno Bee | comment Comment
04/10/09
Donald Munro
Donald Munro
Fresno Bee

The whole thing is calibrated to wow us with its weirdness, even as it assumes an air of 'Who, me?' guilelessness. I've seen slick, glossy Hollywood thrillers made with less knowing calculation.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
04/10/09
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

Meet mall cop Paul Blart's evil, unfunny twin.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
04/10/09
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

Aggressively mean and even more aggressively stupid.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
04/10/09
Christopher Kelly
Christopher Kelly
Dallas Morning News

I've observed this Seth Rogen comedy, and I can report that it's not very good.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/10/09
J. R. Jones
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader

Observe and Report strikes me as a comedy in perfect pace with this moment. It's funny and uncompromising, offering laughs without denial.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
04/10/09
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 >> >|
all

Latest News for Observe and Report

September 21, 2009: RT on DVD: Observe and Report, Classic Star Trek, and more.
Coming out on home video this week are a few new releases from earlier this year (such as Ghosts of Girlfriends Past and Observe and Report), as well as a couple of collections... More...

April 12, 2009: Seth Rogen more shocking than funny as crude mall cop. Opens in new window
More...

April 09, 2009: Critics Consensus: Hannah Montana Hits A Flat Note
This week at the movies, we've got a pop songbird (Hannah Montana the Movie, starring Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus), a mall cop (Observe and Report, starring Seth Rogen and Anna... More...

April 09, 2009: Observe And Report: Better Than Blart, And Dirtier Than Harry. And the wicked humor never lets up, as the tone deliciously darkens just when it seems there's nowhere left to go. Opens in new window
More...

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