Blu-ray Review: Observe and Report

Observe and Report is best described by a line of dialogue issued by a cop who hides in a closet at a key point where mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) is about to get some devastating news. The cop and his partner, Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) plan to take sick pleasure in Barnhardt’s failure, but he exits the closet mid-scene.

“I thought this was going to be funny, but it’s actually kind of sad,” he says of the situation.

Observe and Report is lined with moments of ridiculous humor, but in its approach to Barnhardt’s character takes more cues from Martin Scorsese’s dark Taxi Driver than screwball comedies like Superbad. The mix of comedy and humor could work incredibly well – thanks to Rogen’s solid performance that has the ability to make viewers laugh one second and truly care for the character the next – but falls slightly off course from being something special due to faults in the script and direction of Jody Hill (The Foot Fist Way, Eastbound and Down).

Barnhardt is head of security for Forest View Mall, where a streaker has been terrifying customers in the parking lot and one employee in particular, a makeup store clerk named Brandi (Anna Faris), for whom Barnhardt has an unrequited affection. Barnhardt makes it his number one goal to stop the streaker for Brandi, but Harrison steps in on the investigation, leaving Rogen frustrated about not being taken seriously. He is very likely bi-polar, or at the very least, as he is described on the personality test for his application to the police department, “borderline delusional.”

Viewers can sympathize with Barnhardt’s character in many ways, though, because Hill’s writing and Rogen’s performance make him a loveable loser. It is clear that there is something offbeat about him, but he tries to take pride in his job even when others view it as a lesser position. He is still stuck in a home with his alcoholic mother (Celia Weston), doesn’t understand that Brandi is blowing him off, and misses the advances of a coffee café girl who goes out of her way to make a special brew for him every day.

But things go awry with Observe and Report in the supporting cast and Hill’s insecurities with committing to the serious moments, instead turning to some forced humor and an ending that simply falls apart in ridiculousness, twice. After an all-out brawl with a troop of police, things get back on track with a finale that could have been shocking on the level of Taxi Driver, but finds itself with an awkwardly unrealistic denouement that if part of a more serious movie could be questioned as one of Barnhardt’s delusions.

Alongside Rogen on the mall security force is Dennis (Michael Pena), who constantly talks like Mike Tyson. John and Matt Yuen star as Asian brothers whose sole point of comedy seems to stem from the fact that they look alike. And Aziz Ansari (Human Giant) plays Saddamn, who gives girls inappropriate massages at one of those annoying stands in the middle of the mall. Ansari lends some more comic credibility to the film and has one good exchange with Rogen, but mostly serves as an indicator that Barnhardt is a violent racist.

No doubt about it, Observe and Report can be very funny in an edgy, often warped manner that relies on everything from brutal violence, to swearing children, to date rape to achieve those laughs. But it also tries to be something more, and Rogen does his best to pull it all together with his portrayal of Barnhardt; however the script and direction is ultimately too inconsistent to get that job done. Observe and Report serves as a sometimes entertaining comedy with one of Rogen’s best performances, but little more.

The Blu-ray visuals are crystal clear, not that there any major action explosions or anything to make it completely necessary, and the TruHD audio is also crystal clear, although again there isn’t much to make use of it.

Instead of the usual audio commentary, Observe and Report features a picture-in-picture commentary with Hill, Rogen and Faris, though even they say they are a little unsure why they need to be shown while doing commentary. Hill tries to spice it up with pineapple sunglasses and viewers get to see the minimal reactions to scenes from the group, but it would have worked just as well in audio. The rest of the features are standard fare and mostly throwaway, aside from the interesting feature on Rogen training for the physical role.

Special Features

-The Observe and Report Blu-ray Disc is presented in 1080p high-definition 16×9 2.4:1 aspect ratio video, with Dolby TruHD English 5.1, Dolby Digital: English 5.1, French 5.1 (Dubbed in Quebec), Spanish 5.1 and Portuguese 5.1 audio, with English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles

-Special features are presented in 480i or 480p standard definition, with stereo audio

-Basically Training (Hollywood’s Latest Loose-Cannon Action Star Unleashed)

-Forest Ridge Mall: Security Recruitment Video

-Seth Rogen and Anna Faris: Unscripted (Multiple Outtakes of this Imperfect Couple’s Funniest Scenes)

-Additional Scenes

-Gag Reel

-Meeting-of-the-Mall-Minds Picture-in-Picture Commentary Track with Seth Rogen, Anna Faris and writer/director Jody Hill

-Exclusive Features Via BD Live

-Includes Digital copy on DVD

About the Writer:
Bill Jones is editor-in-chief of padsandpanels.com, a site dedicated to coverage of comics and games.