THE INTERVIEW : Tuesday 17th February 2015.

All the hoop-la surrounding 'THE INTERVIEW' which I saw last night at a big screen multiplex is well known now around the world and will be forever cast in movie folklore as the film that caused more that a stir at Sony Pictures, resulted in the theatrical release by Columbia Pictures being put back about twelve weeks, that had the North Korean authorities rattling their sabres and gnashing their teeth at Uncle Sam, and the so called hackers that infiltrated Sony Pictures Entertainment computer network -  the 'Guardians of Peace' - demanding that the 'movie of terrorism' be pulled, or there would be 'stern' and 'merciless' retaliation against the West if the films release went ahead! Really - WTF?

So what is all the fuss about? This US$42M film Directed (with Evan Goldberg), Produced (with Evan Goldberg), Written (with Evan Goldberg) and starring Seth Rogen amongst others is a farce, a satire and a comedy of errors that front & centre pokes big time fun at the ruler of North Korea for sure, and in ways that are none too complimentary. First he is painted up then he is torn down and meets his demise in a final set piece that gives the tyrannical leader his comeuppance so that ultimately some balance can be restored to this 'misunderstood' country!  In this respect this film follows plot contrivances that we have seen more times in the movies for the past fifty or so years than you can poke a North Korean warhead at - so nothing new here, and, we have come to rely on Seth Rogen coming up with something controversial to gain a reaction before . . . and so it is here!

The story revolves around a handful of central characters with Seth Rogen as Aaron Rappaport the Producer of evening celebrity tabloid kitsch talk show 'Skylark Tonite', whose amiable, handsome, fashionable but dimwitted Host is Dave Skylark (James Franco). Rappaport and Skylark have good history behind them, they are close mates and as good as brothers - always larking about as much as their wealth, celebrity, and libidos will allow - which is pretty much all the time. They talk as though they are seventeen, although Rappaport tries at times to remain aloof and a little more mature, in complete contrast to Skylark. After celebrating the shows 1,000th episode Rappaport yearns to to inject some more seriousness into the nightly proceedings with guests of note rather than celebrate air heads, has beens and wannabes! And so a plan is hatched to secure an interview with Kim Jong-un (Randall Park), to which Producer Rappaport must go to extraordinary lengths to secure even though the North Korean ruler is Skylark's number one fan!

When news of this pending interview is beamed around the world everyone has an opinion that Skylark will mess things up royally, and what the hell is that doofus doing interviewing Kim Jong-un anyway? At this point the CIA make an appearance and Agent Lacey (Lizzy Caplan) advise the Producer and the Host that when they meet Kim Jong-un for the interview in North Korea, they are to 'take him out'! At first they ask - 'what, for a drink, for dinner, to party' and then the harsh reality dawns that they are to assassinate him, but in a carefully planned closely monitored execution operation for which their extraction is also planned to ensure success.

So far so good, and the hapless duo set out on their mission. Upon arriving Skylark and Kim Jong-un hit it off immediately, and we see that the North Korean leader is a humble, down to earth, fun loving and misunderstood man who was downtrodden at a young age by his mother and father giving rise to the misconceptions that exist about him today. He likes margaritas, listens to Katy Perry, shoots hoops on his own basketball court, is kept entertained by small guitar playing children, cares for his people, has a collection of classic cars . . . and a few tanks, and keeps a bevy of beautiful scantily clad Korean babes to keep him 'amused'! What's not to like here? Skylark is bowled over, Rappaport not so!

With Skylark now convinced that Kim Jong-un is an OK dude and the rest of the world are mistaken the plan starts to unravel. The leaders assistant handling the interview telecast from the Korean end - Sook Yung Park (Diana Bang) and Rappaport get the hots for each other, and in a moment of passion it is revealed that she hates Kim Jong-un herself and wishes for him to be overthrown and a new balance of power installed. Later on over dinner Skylark begins to see for himself the truth behind Kim Jong-un's facade of mis-information, lies and conspiracy and so reveals to Rappaport what he has witnessed and that their plan must be reinstated, and so the interview is to go ahead beamed around the world as originally planned.

With a carefully scripted text, pre-determined questions and already defined outcomes for the camera the interview progresses. It is not long though before all mayhem is let lose in the studio behind the scenes where Rappaport and Sook are attempting to thwart those loyal to Kim Jong-un who wish for the interview to be scrapped now that Skylark is getting the upper hand and his guest is buckling under pressure on live TV revealing his true personality. Needless to say, here it does turn to mayhem with rapid gunfire in a confined space, several fingers being bitten off, a joy stick going where the sun don't shine, and spurts of the sticky crimson stuff arcing through the air gratuitously! It's all just a little OTT at this point, and of course it doesn't end there, as the interviewee makes his escape to a waiting helicopter later seen circulating overhead as half a dozen nukes are being primed on the US, and Skylark, Rappaport and Sook arrive in a tank on the ground below ready to face off against their quarry!

Needless to say Kim Jong-un buys the farm, and our three heroes all walk off into the sunset - but in two different directions! This film has an extreme storyline there is no doubt, but we've seen worse (think 'Team America' anyone!) and there are more than enough sight gags, gross out humour, sexual references aplenty, drugs, booze and Katy Perry touch stones to keep any teenage juvenile amused for approaching two hours. The film also stars a string of celebrity cameo's that for some, if you blink you'll miss, and despite its release headaches it has made about US$12M at the Box Office and over US$40M in digital rentals when Sony released it on-line on December 24th. With subsequent very limited general release in certain territories, it is due for BluRay and DVD release Stateside on 17th February 2015. This film certainly won't go down in history as one of the world's great satirical comedies of all time, but it will be recognised as causing WWIII . . . well nearly, maybe, perhaps!

  
-Steve, at Odeon Online-