Observe and Report Blu-ray Review: Two Jokes and Ray Liotta

Written and directed by Jody Hill, Observe and Report concerns itself with the security detail at the Forest Ridge Mall where there is a flasher on the loose in the parking lot, and there is a master thief loose inside the mall. Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) is the head of security who makes it his mission to catch the bad guys all on his own. Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) believes that Ronnie is just getting in the way, hindering the real investigation conducted by the police. Ronnie is in love with Brandi Gafney (Anna Faris), who works in the mall at a makeup counter and who has nothing but disdain for Ronnie. 

Lots of unfunny stuff happens in Observe and Report. Ronnie decides he wants to join the police force and goes for a ride-along with Detective Harrison who dumps Ronnie in the most dangerous part of town. Ronnie kicks ass in such situations, though, and beats up and detains a group of drug dealers. However, Ronnie cannot pass the psychological examination which is meant to be funny but is, of course, not. Luckily, Ray Liotta seems to understand the assignment, and seemingly mocks all the other characters, and possibly the actors, too, in every scene. Liotta comes off as feeling too smart for the picture, and he is, so it works. All the real laughs in the film come from Liotta and are at other people’s expense.

Much of the movie simply isn’t aging well though it is doubtful the film was any more funny during its theatrical release. There is a man in a trenchcoat who is terrorizing women. The jokes about mental health are also uncomfortably unfunny to a modern audience. In one scene, Ronnie gives Brandi a bottle of Clonazepam, believing he doesn’t need it anymore, and then he has sex with her while she is semi-conscious from the drug. Later, he is incensed when Brandi sleeps with Detective Harrison, and he openly shames her in front of workers and patrons alike.

Bonus Features:

• Picture-in-picture commentary by Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, and Jody Hill
• Interview with writer/director Jody Hill
• Forest Ridge Mall: Security recruitment video
• Seth Rogen and Anna Faris: Unscripted – how improvisation was used on the set
• Basically Training – discussion of the characters
• Deleted Scenes – almost half an hour of cut material
• Theatrical Trailer
• Gag Reel

Rogen and Faris are pure camp throughout the film. Over-the-top and annoying in every scene, they come off as two people who think they are really funny; unfortunately, none of that humor or fun make it to the screen. While there are laughs to be had thanks to the late Ray Liotta, nothing else about the film can be recommended.