4.5/10

The most controversial film of the year is finally released to the public on VOD and select theaters. In “The Interview”, talk show host Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show “Skylark Tonight.” When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a big fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un. Without seeing the film, the average moviegoer can expect that this film will definitely be with problems, and it’s hard to judge a Seth Rogen film with any journalistic integrity, however i reviewed this film based on it’s comedic and entertaining abilities, and those are very few and far between. “The Interview” had some legitimate laughs that set up a fun first act. The problem is that a majority of those jokes are very hit and miss, and the ones that do work, are repeated far too often. As you would expect in a Franco/Rogen effort, the comedy is very tasteless and sophomoric more so than necessary. Most films dictate that one guy usually plays the straight man, and it’s Rogen in this film. The problem with that casting is that Rogen works more than Franco in a film with this style of comedy. With Rogen getting little to no laughs based on his opposite straight man casting of Franco, the film suffers through a terribly boring third act. The satire is done pretty well, and at times it feels like a companion piece to 2004’s “Team America: World Police”. Lizzy Caplan was a long bright spot in this film. As a CIA agent, she felt like someone who took the risky mission in front of these two numbskulls seriously. Caplan thrives the most during a scene involving Rogen hiding a poisonous weapon for Un. You can imagine how this one goes if you have seen the trailer even once. That is another huge problem with “The Interview”; all of it’s best parts are in the trailer. The worst part about a joke is when you see the punchline coming from a mile away, and this film brings it tenfold. Regardless of what i or any other critic thinks, this film will go down in history, and i suppose that’s what really matters. Due to the recent controversy surrounding the pulling of this film, “The Interview” is expected to make a fortune on VOD sales alone. The real disappointment is going to come in fans expecting anything big out of this film. With the exception of the final five minutes, i didn’t feel there was anything in this film to warrant a banning. It’s all silly and harmless fun, and if the hackers gave the film a chance before judging it, they would laugh more at the people who had to make it. I still have my theories about the supposed pulling of the film, but i will save that for another day. Overall, “The Interview” is more of what you’ve come to expect from this duo. This film would’ve been better if it were never made, not banned. Any film has a right to be shown though, and that should never ever change