The Watch (Film) - Review

We've seen tons of vulgar comedies, and we've seen tons of alien-themed movies, but we haven't seen them mix all that much. The Watch is here to change that, with big names Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill, as well as Richard Ayoade, who sticks out in a fashion that begs even the previews for the film to point out. It's a great enough concept to hold a film, and surely Jonah Hill can't be in a bad movie?

It's a great concept done well, and yes, the jury is still out in regards to whether or not a movie casting Jonah Hill can flop. It's funny and it feels good, though a few things bog it down and take away from the masterpiece it could have been.

Ben Stiller's character, Evan, is introduced to us via humorous narration from the character himself. Evan adores his ironically boring town so much that he creates clubs, lovingly commands a large department store and involves himself in its politics. He's very by-the-books and rather lame, for lack of a better term. He takes a big hit when one of his workers, a lovable dork, is murdered in his store. It's a genuinely emotional scene but very smartly remains light-hearted due to its quirky execution.

This compels Evan to create a task force run by concerned citizens of the city, and the basic premise is created when Franklin (Hill), Bob (Vaughn) and Jamarcus (Ayoade) volunteer. Led by Bob, the three volunteers take this as a way to have fun instead of the very serious direction that Evan is taking. The group's early actions are less than exciting, but their role as the neighborhood watch becomes much more relevant when they discover that aliens from outer space are responsible for the death of the lovable dorky worker.

Antics ensue.

The main crew has wonderful chemistry together. Vaughn is the loud, dim-witted bro-dude that pulled immediate laughter out of me whenever he'd merely shout about something that isn't nearly worth shouting about. Jonah Hill plays a strange outcast, channeling the great mix of awkward confidence that the actor is known for. Ayoade's character injects very British humor in the film which helps to vary the style of comedy. Stiller's character acts as the reaction and alleviation to and for the crew's loud and crude escapades, which works well in assuaging their ridiculousness.

It's a goofy movie. It takes the concept of a bunch of loud middle-aged-frat-boy-types along with an uptight fellow attempting to save their city from destruction by aliens, and runs with it. They go out and blow stuff up with a weapon they find, sing obnoxiously in the car with a round of beers after a minor victory, shoot their foes a cartoonish amount of times to ensure they are dead, and more. It's energetic, moves quickly and flings itself in your face. It's hilarious and has an inviting good time.

The plot follows the conventional structure of a mystery. They learn that the aliens wear the skin of their victims which opens up a very wide range of suspects. I felt that at least half of the big reveals were rather predictable, as they were very heavy on the red herrings, but most of these remain fun to at least watch. I was very pleasantly surprised with the last reveal at the climax, which I didn't see coming in the slightest.

There are two subplots between Vaughn and Stiller's characters that attempt to, for the most part, turn the comedy-switch off for what are intended to be captivating yarns to follow. Stiller's character is having problems with getting his wife pregnant and doesn't know how to tell her, and Vaughn's character struggles with raising his teenage daughter. These feel a bit banal and are certainly uninteresting, especially taking into consideration that I'm not particularly moved by Stiller or Vaughn's character on any serious level, as the movie is much too goofy for me to actually get invested in these characters in any significant way. Comedy does accompany these subplots, and they both tie up at the film's conclusion in a rather satisfying fashion, so it isn't too much of an issue.

The laughs simply work, without too many falters. No gag is especially original, but seeing Vaughn boast about his ability to expertly pee in a cup and Hill hit on a pair of attractive twins at a high school party really hits the spot. The cops, which serve as the most prevalent supporting cast, are entertaining. One is cocky, unfriendly and appropriately dense, and the other is a humorously named dummy who doesn't even speak. Some of the vulgar humor, especially of the sexual ilk, comes off as a bit forced, but those moments are of the minority. The Watch trucks forward with an onslaught of jokes that were varied enough to keep me laughing up until its action-packed and pleasing conclusion.

It's a good flick. The casting is more or less perfect, the film more than competently kept things moving, and boy did I have many a laughter. It's not masterful, as the movie beyond its comedy and mystery is weak, and even the former comes off as contrived at times. But overall I had a great time and wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone able to see an R-rated movie who's looking for a primarily mindless comedy. The Watch is a laugh-out-loud roller-coaster mystery about an alien invasion, and for Christ's sake, Jonah Hill is in it.