REVIEW: “The Neighbors” knocks on the door of indecency
By Hannah Musgrove,
Bluedevilhub.com Staff
The very first scene of “The Neighbors” reveals the main characters, Mac and Kelly Radner, engaged in quite obscene activities in the middle of their dining room as their baby daughter watches upon the spectacle from her baby bouncer. This scene was a bit awkward, as were many others.
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne, of “Bridesmaids”, star as the hilarious, young, possibly voyeuristic, married couple with an aforementioned baby girl who one day, after spending several months in a relatively quiet and peaceful neighborhood, peek out their window to discover that a fraternity is moving in next door.
Teddy Sanders, played by Zac Efron, is the Delta Psi Beta president, a hardcore partier, and as Mac described, “the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” He quickly greets the couple and after fawning over their baby agrees to try to keep the noise down.
The Radners were simultaneously trying to encourage the fraternity to keep the noise and partying to a minimum while also trying not to appear as the lame old people who live next door.
In a desperate attempt to seem “cool” in the eyes of the frat, Mac and Kelly even accept an invitation to party one night where things quickly become very out of control and very entertaining. The night included various drug escapades, drunken dance battles and even “crossing streams” while peeing into the fountain the next morning.
The frat, however, continues the crazy level of partying at a possibly even higher volume, a small feud develops between the frat and the family until eventually all hell breaks lose and all out war ensues, each trying to force the other to leave the neighborhood.
Possibly the funniest character was the couple’s dim-witted friend Jimmy, portrayed by The Mindy Project’s Ike Barinholtz, who aids the couple in their quest to take down Delta Psi and also to win back his ex-wife.
Most of the jokes, hijinks and pop-culture references were very entertaining and quite hilarious. However, some went too far and were a bit uncomfortable.
Overall, probably one too many sexual references and maybe a little too heavy on the surprising amount of crude and vulgar content, not a movie recommended to be seen with your parents.
