The Watch (2012) Reviews

• Inexplicable

  littlemartinarocena2013-07-09

  The nerve! I can't believe it look better on the page. Ben Stiller should know better by now. Or it's just a question of money. Not a moment of real comedy, not one. Vince Vaughn totally out of control in a non-character part. Oscar nominee Jonah Hill, lost. I felt hopeful when Billy Crudup makes his appearance, but the hope was very short lived. Random, inexplicable touches, that include explosions as a form of production value,I presume, but how embarrassing. The script is cheap and opportunistic but also misses its target, completely. Aliens in suburbia could have been a great idea. They needed writers and a director to execute it with some degree of oomph. Awful and depressing.

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• Disappointing, disjointed and totally lacking in humor

  gregeichelberger2012-07-29

  I have never claimed to be a screenwriter (nor would I even try to be), but it seems to me that if "The Watch" had just been about a group of goofy, inept, over-the-top neighborhood watchmen, then it could have been a much tighter, coherent and interesting endeavor. Under the eye of director Akiva Schaffer ("Hot Rod") and penmanship of writers Jared Stern, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, however, the film is badly-managed and all over the map — thematically speaking. I use "writing" loosely, though, since much of the dialogue was ad-libbed by leads Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn, and the undisciplined approach certainly shows with these vulgar and stilted performances. Adding murder, mutilation, orgies and an ill-conceived alien invasion just shows the desperation (and bloated budget) the cast and crew were forced to work with. Never has the phrase "less is more" been so sorely needed in a so-called comedic production. Thus, the first pairing of Stiller and Vaughn since 2005′s "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" is sadly wasted as the laughs come few and far between. And, when they do, they are usually overshadowed by following sequences of slaughter, mayhem and utter confusion that leaves both casual film patron and experienced movie critic scratching their collective heads in complete bewilderment. The ludicrous plot has longtime Costco manager Evan (Stiller) grieving over the killing of a Mexican security guard in a most offensive and stereotypical scene. Starting a comedy with a vicious, bloody murder is hardly the best way to go, but that is just the beginning of this film's problems. Appearing in front of a high school football audience (in one of the few really funny sequences), Evan makes an appeal for neighborhood watch recruits, but can only attract three weirdos — Bob (Vaughn), Franklin (Jonah Hill, fresh from "21 Jump Street" and an Oscar- nominated performance in "Moneyball") and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade) — who use the situation to get away from their wives and family members and look to get drunk and party. The quartet is a joke (a really UNfunny joke, however), being ridiculed by smart-mouthed teens, random citizens and local law enforcement. When more murders take place, though, as well as the discovery of a forthcoming alien invasion, the group begins to suspect most everyone in the small Ohio town is involved (because, evidently, the invaders can also assume human form, any further plot explanation is really unnecessary at this point). Along the way there are also several pointless subplots in "The Watch," one including Bob's slutty daughter, Chelsea (Erin Moriarty) and her sexcapades, as well as Evan's low sperm count; neither of which is even remotely interesting or humorous. Lame supporting characters include Will Forte ("MacGruber") as the disbelieving town cop, and Rosemarie DeWitt ("Your Sister's Sister"), as Evan's non-descript wife. Then, the final conflict takes place at the Costco store and, like the rest of the enterprise is boring, confusing and nowhere near as comedic as it needed to be. And so "The Watch," the much-anticipated Stiller-Vaughn reunion (well, anticipated by SOME people, I suppose), falls flat on its face. The painfully humorless and obscene story, that meanders around like a rudderless alien spacecraft, makes this comedy one of the most disappointing and depressing adventures of the year.

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• It was fun, a little breath of fresh-air.

  finnlife12012-09-16

  First off, don't read other reviews about this, it will ruin the unexpected plot and you will probably go in with a negative view. Somebody else said that this isn't a cinematic masterpiece and that's pretty much what i agree with, but it wasn't meant to be, it had some refreshing dialogue that wasn't so much punchlines, but funny conversations,the whole movie itself was just funny in general, the plot was ridiculous but at the same time it was really funny because it was just a big joke. The same people who rate this movie down are the same people who go rate down Schwarzenegger films because they have a silly plot, it's not about the plot, it's about hardcore action and silly punchlines, just like this movie is about funny conversations and a fun plot.

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• If you don't like fun then don't see the watch.

  pw11112012-08-19

  I see a lot of people bashing this film for some reason. Sure it's not some cinematic masterpiece; when I went to see it I wasn't expecting that. "The Watch" is a funny buddy comedy, filled with crude jokes and the silly shenanigans that you'd expect from Stiller, Vaughn, the rest of the cast, and writer Seth Rogen. Like a delicious onion the film does a good job peeling away at the story. Yes, it is not hard see the plot coming, but it's how the characters deal with the situations they encounter, that makes the film entertaining. Crybaby critics with their stuck up trendy smugness, "See, told you the plot was predictable.." Wow, way to over dramatize the obvious, you're so clever. I bet that "Titanic" ending took you by surprise? For all those critics who whine and cry about "The Watch" maybe they should just stay home and watch one of their Disney classics on VHS. This is a great film to see, escape the chaotic world and have a few laughs.

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• Well, I had a good time with it!

  Boba_Fett11382012-08-17

  For me, this movie is a clear sign that some film-makers still care about making a good comedy. The movie is not just simple, cheap, predictable laughs, it actually is being one that relies on its story development and character buildup. No, I'm not saying that this is a very clever or brilliantly written and made movie but I definitely prefer the approach of this movie above that of the average and more standard modern comedy. This is being a somewhat more subtle movie with all of its comedy and how it got incorporated into the movie. Thing that made this movie especially great and fun to watch for me were its characters. The movie truly is mostly about its characters and their interactions with each other. All of the actors play quite well off each other and manage to give their characters some distinctive and enjoyable personalities. Really, without the movie its characters and actors portraying them, this would had most likely been a terribly weak movie. It's true that most of the actors are playing the same type of characters they often play. Ben Stiller again plays a normal guy, who gets caught up in a crazy situation and Vince Vaughn basically is being a big man-child again. But somehow it all works out quite well and entertaining for the movie and I even dare to say that some of the biggest Stiller and/or Vaughn haters still could get some enjoyment out of this movie and not feel annoyed by their performances and characters. It's hard not to really spoil this movie but it's about something way more than just about a neighborhood watch, with a bunch of misfits in it. There are some interesting and unexpected developments in this movie, at least when you haven't heard about them already. I won't say anything about it, since I feel that it's more fun to just go into this movie, without knowing what is going to happen in it. So I advice you to also stay away from any trailers and just let this movie surprise you. I simply had a good time watching this movie! 7/10 http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

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