The Watch has been getting a fair few negative reviews. Yeah, sure, it's no cinematic masterpiece, but I don't think it's meant to be. It's a comedy full of amusing conversations. There aren't really that many punchlines which will have your sides splitting, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have a certain charm.
Ben Stiller leads a neighbourhood watch team that accidentally stumbles across an alien plot to take over the world. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds. Yes, there are plenty of unbelievable moments and yes, there are plenty of plot holes. But, there's also so much right with this film, that I think, if you try, you should be able to gloss over any misgivings you may have for this and enjoy it for what it is.
It's the perfect movie to sit down and relax your brain. Let the silly men entertain you and snigger at their attempts to save the world. Plus, for all you horror fans out there, the aliens themselves are pretty decent budget with a few gory moments thrown in for added bonus.
It's daft, it's smutty, it's silly, but it's also very enjoyable.
Kudos to Richard Ayoade for getting his foot into Hollywood's door. Good luck to him - he shows he can hold his own among Hollywood's comedic A-listers.
The Watch
2012
Action / Comedy / Horror / Sci-Fi
The Watch
2012
Action / Comedy / Horror / Sci-Fi
Plot summary
In Glenview, Ohio, Evan is the manager of the Costco department store and married to Abby. When the Costco night watchman, Antonio Guzman, is mysteriously murdered, Evan organizes The Neighborhood Watch, a watch team with his suburban neighbors Bob, Franklin and Jamarcus to protect the neighborhood and find the killer of Antonio. Soon they discover that the murderer is an alien that is preparing to invade Earth, and they become the last hope of mankind on Earth.
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A relaxing breath of fresh air
An Interesting Sci-Fi Comedy!
'The Watch' is An Interesting Sci-Fi Comedy, that makes good-use of its promising premise & its well-decorated star-cast. Its Fun!
'The Watch' Synopsis: Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.
'The Watch' isn't flawless. It has its share of minuses. But, overall, this first of its kind Sci-Fi Comedy appeals, because it makes you laugh at the right places & the performances are commendable. Talking of minuses, the uneven second-hour acts as a deterrent.
Jared Stern, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg's Screenplay has merit. However, the second-hour, certainly, could've been more persuasive. Akiva Schaffer's Direction is credible. Cinematography & Editing are mentionable. Graphics are pretty cool. The Aliens are pretty creepy to look at!
Performance-Wise: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill & Richard Ayoade are the life of 'The Watch'. Stiller is highly efficient, while Vaughn continues to impress us with his impeccable comic-timing. Hill & Ayoade are equally effective, adding much more to their characters than offered. Also, the on-screen chemistry between the four of them, is interesting. Rosemarie DeWitt does her bit well. Will Forte is sincere.
On the whole, 'The Watch' does work, at most parts.
This had its moments, but it easily could have been better.
According to the IMDB trivia page for this movie, originally "The Watch" was intended for teen audiences. However, the studio decided to change the script to make it raunchier and more adult. As I watched this film, I couldn't help but wish the original screenplay had been used instead. All too often, the film took the low road...and the crude jokes were mostly very unfunny.
Evan (Ben Stiller) is the epitome of a 'nice' guy. He loves his community and loves his job. When someone (or something) kills one of the worker's at Evans' Costco, the local police chief asks for community involvement...something you later see he really doesn't want. But Evan decides to act and creates a small neighborhood watch...with three unlikely new friends to help him.
The basic story is very sound and entertaining. In fact, unless the script were written with an overabundance of crudeness, it was bound to succeed. But it was filled with an overabundance of crudeness when laughs were really what it should have emphasized. Now I am not some prude...I just felt most of the crude remarks in the film weren't funny.
I'll give this one a 5. It's worth seeing as a time-passer, but think twice about letting your kids watch due to the language and nudity.