By taking chances and freeing itself of a safety net, the picture arrives as a welcome respite to the same-old, same-old.
Comment
04/09/09
Observe and Report (2009)
50
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
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... [More]
Reviews for Observe and Report
141 - 160 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
It's the strangest movie I expect to see from a Hollywood studio for the rest of the year.
04/09/09
Soon, Rogen will muscle up into the role he really wants: Rambo. That explains the shoot-em-up climax of Pineapple Express, an unfunny joke now stretched out into a full flick
04/09/09
[A] startling portrait of knee-jerk ignorance, obliviousness, and mean-spiritedness... Rogen's wholehearted devotion to the character imbues him with a solid reality, if a miserable one...
04/09/09
Observe and Report revels in creeping you out and making you laugh -- hard.
04/09/09
Observe and Report feels more like a series of not-quite-successful skits thrown together than a movie with a script.
04/09/09
While it stops before sliding too far into the darkness, Observe and Report hits a lot of bull's-eyes by aiming for the gut, not easy belly laugh.
04/09/09
You can't root for Ronnie. You can't identify with him. You can't hope he gets the girl – any girl -- or the police job or even the crook. But you may want to look on with stunned fascination as he ticks away, ready to explode.
04/09/09
Subplots come and go with zero regard for narrative integrity.
04/09/09
A hit-and-miss curio.
04/09/09
For better or worse, the weirdest, wildest comedy of the year so far.
04/09/09
An acidic, anarchic layer cake of mental illness with comedy teddy bear Seth Rogen as its seal of approval. It'll be fascinating to see how this demented, treehouse feature is received by audiences accustomed to far bouncier takes on smutty giggles.
04/09/09
Top CriticWarner Bros. takes a gamble on writer-director Jody Hill's sophomore effort, a pitch-black comedy that's sure to inspire rants and raves in equal measure.
04/09/09
...an occasionally amusing, persistently disturbing comedy that at times plays like a bipolar-disorder episode from the inside out.
04/08/09
If I could review the film in halves, I'd give the comedy act *** and the drama *.
04/08/09
In its own demented Pineapple-Foot Fist-Four Letter Word Way, Observe and Report delivers a cynical, angry and funny take on a life of loud, violent desperation.
04/08/09
Violence in the unimaginatively titled Observe and Report is loud and blunt -- making it the ugliest, most hate-filled comedy since Borat.
04/08/09
A crazy mosaic of Americana with tiles scattered and missing. Need I observe and report that the view isn't for every taste? It sure is for mine.
04/08/09
Things go from bad to worse to violent and yet -- as in Pineapple Express, which also starred Rogen -- the film never stops being funny, even though you'll find yourself squirming more and more over Ronnie's behavior.
04/08/09
You have to respect Hill's willingness to continually go to any length without so much as a flinch to get a laugh. But that doesn't mean you'll continually enjoy it.
04/08/09
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. 
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.
More...
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