The Interview - Actually Funny

We have all heard about "The Interview" at this point, and if you haven't then I seriously question how you even stumbled upon this blog in the first place. Back in the summer of 2014 was when I first heard about this film. I thought it sounded like just another stupid Seth Rogen film, meaning that I would of course watch it, but maybe not really like it. He can go either way for me. Then the whole "Sony hack" debacle took place. Not I really wanted to watch it.

"The Interview" is about this TV host (James Franco) who ends up scoring an interview with Kim Jong-un simply because the dictator is a big fan of his show (which is looked at as garbage in the US). When the CIA finds about this, they urge the host and his producer (Seth Rogen) to assassinate Jong-un. The concept is extremely crazy, but it works.

The reason it actually works so well is the seriousness in which the story is told. I'm not saying it's a dramatic what-if, but it's not told like most comedies. It almost makes it seem like this is a real possibility, that this could happen, and that if it did it would happen like this. They make sure to have minimal involvement from the CIA on-screen, meaning you won't really have time to realise just how impossible this whole thing is. It also helps that the film is actually funny. Most of the time, at least.

Rogen films really can go either way when it comes to humour. Sometimes they are hilarious from start to finish, other times they're just filled with painful jokes that never lead anywhere. "The Interview" isn't hilarious from start to finish, but it is certainly funny enough for what it is. It's funny because of how bizarre it is, not because of how funny it is, which is a type of humour I quite like myself. It just builds and builds, and as the "reality" of the film sinks in it just gets so absurd that even the stupidest of jokes appear to be funny. They've managed to find a fine balance of when to tell jokes, and when not to.

In general this is a really entertaining film. Sure, there are parts where it really drags on, but the overall picture of it is solid. If you read the synopsis and you think it sounds interesting, you will probably like this film. It delivers on what it promises. Nothing more, a little bit less.