SXSW Film Preview: Observe and Report

Still from Observe and Report

No, seriously, let’s assume that. It’s the only plausible way that you don’t know all about Seth Rogen. After his impressive debut on the Judd Apatow/nerd-chic scene as the only stoner that wasn’t a cliché on “Freaks and Geeks,” (a show the nerdiest of us have called almost biographical) and his hilarious portrayals of lovable losers in the grown-up world in and Pineapple Express, you ought to know his name at this point. And you ought to know if you love him or hate him.

Indeed, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of middle ground here. Either you think he’s a stoner that you would have totally hung out with in high school, or you think he’s some sort of freakishly smart idiot savant bluffing his way through the Hollywood system. We happen to think the former, so you should have some idea which way this review is heading.

In Observe and Report, Rogen plays a mall cop obsessed with Brandi (Anna Faris, the House Bunny herself!). When Brandi gets flashed by a…well, a flasher, he takes advantage of the situation, warning her that the perv might return to kill her and telling her that she needs protection. Hey, it’s a smooth move if you’re a lonely mall cop with nothing to lose. But with Rogen’s ne’er do well energy (and the fact that he’s a friggin' Mall Cop), we feel it's safe to assume he’s probably fighting a comically uphill battle.

Bin Laden and his terrorist cronies might not find Rogen funny, but in our opinion, hiding in a cave for the last few years is about the only plausible excuse. This looks like everything that “King of Queens” mall cop movie wasn’t. This isn't some indie flick you won't be able to see in theaters later on (it’s produced by Warner Brothers after all,) but if you’re looking for a sure thing, this is likely it.

Observe and Report premieres at the Paramount Theater this Monday, March 16th at 9:30Pm. If you want more information or are looking for other screenings, check out the SxSw 2009 Film Guide.