Even if you never had any intention of seeing The Interview there’s a high chance you’ve heard of it. Nearly every news channel covered the circumstances of its release. Hackers threatened violence against cinema goers if they saw the film and in response Sony Pictures pulled the release. Whether they made the right decision is up for debate and questions have been asked about censorship, bullying, and cyber-vandalism but the question of whether the actual movie is any good has taken a back seat. So is this a film worth all the fuss?
The answer is no, no it’s not really deserving of the controversy that’s had presidents and dictators wade in with their opinions on the furore. The Interview is a missed opportunity at comedic satire that could have been and should have been better. You probably know the plot already but I’ll recap it cos that’s the kind of guy I am. James Franco and Seth Rogen play chat show host Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport who in an effort to be taken seriously as journalists arrange an Interview with leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un. The CIA then involve them in a plot to assassinate Kim.
It’s a story that lends itself to satire, a peek behind the curtain of one of the most oppressive regimes in modern history. Instead directors Rogen and Evan Goldberg fall back on jokes about poop and objects being stuck up people’s’ asses. The actual true comedy comes from James Franco’s ridiculous performance. Instead of the usual Franco, Dave Skylark is more like someone having constant seizures inside a Franco skin-suit. Kind of like the bad guy in Men In Black. The character is definitely funny but is so far removed from any real world chat show host that the satire doesn’t land. On the other hand when he’s onscreen the film has a spark that you don’t get with Rogen’s character.
Aside from James Franco acting crazy there’s not much to love about The Interview. There are some funny lines but not enough to get you through the duller parts. And when the movie seems to be moving into insightful territory about the true power of dictators it fluffs it and goes back to juvenility. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the movie but it could have been so much more. The Interview will be remembered for the craziness surrounding its release but not for being a particularly brilliant film. If you want to see the ultimate comedy about an idiot going behind the enemy lines of a communist regime then check out Top Secret! instead.
6/10
Have you seen The Interview? Are you North Korean? Which political leader would you like to kill? Let me know in the comments below!
Screenkicker Kim Index (SKI)
BEST
Screenkicker! 
Remember when we plotted to kill Hannah Spearitt and James Cosmo using an interview as cover?
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Yeah, nobody gave a shit though
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Is this really a surprise to anyone? The next time James Franco and Seth Rogen make a hilarious movie will be their first.
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Haha! I quite liked Pineapple Express but even that wasnt very funny. Seth Rogen gets far too much praise for not doing very much
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I loved Pineapple Express, but they could have stopped there. Bad publicity might grant ‘The Interview’ underserved popularity, but I’m not interested. The consensus seems to be it’s not that funny.
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Thanks for commenting Cindy. Yeah there’s only about 30 mins of comedy in a 90 minute film. Which is not great
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It’s a funny movie, but anything more is crazy. Good review.
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I’m with you Michael dear boy. How did a film so ordinary create such waves?! I can’t believe, after like, 10 years or more, we still have to sit through the usual poo, dick and weed jokes!!
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I know! I was hoping for a change from the anal sex jokes but i left disappointed
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Somehow despite the controversy, this news is not suprising.
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I did not enjoy the picture for the ladies.
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The lady doth protest too much!
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I had zero interest in seeing this, and the controversy did nothing to change it. I cannot understand why so much drama would surround this. Oh well, looks like it really isn’t worth it. Good work Mikey.
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Great review, Mike. Haven’t seen it yet, but this pretty much sounds like what I had expected from it, though I’d hoped for slightly better. Also, this could be the best SKI yet.
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Oh man, the SKI gets me every time! Basically I didn’t bother reading anything about the movie (though I still heard plenty about it — thanks, Facebook!) and wasn’t about to watch it, either, since I knew it would be bad… Such a waste of time and money, all of it!
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Haha! Another brilliant Screenkicker Index. Love those. 🙂 Oh, and this movie looks SHIT…. Nice review!
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Skittles.
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I totally agree: this is a film that is not entirely worthy of the controversy. I think that the world is starting to get a little sick of Rogen’s “Seth Rogen” routine.
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Damn how did you give it 6/10? I couldn’t find anything at all to redeem this one, apart from a sorta fun final act, even though none of it makes any sense.
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