3 Short Paragraphs: The Watch

2012, Akiva Schaffer (lots of SNL) -- Netflix

Ever since Netflix listened to me, and added the "Add to My List" button, I have been adding lots of speculative movies. No, not specfic, though I have been adding those, but those I had at some point in movie history, considered watching. I remembered chuckling at some trailers for this movie and while I don't gravitate to Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn movies (I actually forgot Vaughn was in this), Moss, I mean Richard Ayoade is in it, so I should it enjoy it somewhat, right? And its an alien invasion, so how bad can it be? Cliche question means cliche answer of baaaaad.

Ben Stiller is the over achieving neighbour in one of those subdivisions that make me cringe. He works at the local bog box store where the (newly American, always newly American) security guard is murdered, rather horribly with skin removal & usual alien gags. Stiller takes it upon himself to setup a neighbourhood watch because the cops are useless. What Stiller doesn't seem to know is that everyone in this neighbourhood is useless. His watch idea attracts Vince Vaughn, over protective dad looking for some bro time, Jonah Hill, gun loving and mentally unbalanced and Jamarcus (Ayoade), newly arrived from... England. Despite Stiller's over achieving ideals, the bunch are not that much interested in watching. Despite that they still discover that aliens are trying to invade, and stealing people's skins.

I didn't laugh much. There is a reason I don't watch SNL. For me, it started going downhill in the late 80s, not that I am a big sketch comedy kind of guy. This is for their crowd. Surprisingly, I laughed the most at Jonah Hill's antics, which usually annoy the @!$% out of me, but were refreshingly sideways in this movie. Vaughn is Vaughn, Stiller is deep in character and Ayoade is .... well, Moss. And they murdered cows & destroyed someone's farm for the fun of it. Worst Neighbour Watch ever.