The Interview

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UK Release Date: February 6th 2015

Dave Skylark (Franco) and producer Aaron Rapoport (Rogen) run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight." When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen (This Is the End)

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Lizzy Caplan, Randall Park, Diana Bang

The Interview has attracted a lot of media attention after the cyber attack on Sony Pictures. The FBI claim the attack came from North Korea, but others speculate current or former employees of Sony were involved. The threats from hackers who call themselves 'Guardians of Peace' have driven Sony to cancel its premiere and only distribute the film in the US digitally. The Interview follows similar footsteps to 2004's Team America, (mocking current North Korean President Kim Jong-il and Hollywood actors), but has spiraled out of control. It's nothing more than comedy-entertainment, but one that doesn't match the hype and attention surrounding it. Where Pineapple Express and This is the End saw Rogen and Franco's bromance flourish, The Interview strips and eradicates it. It's like two perfect solos that can't quite gel together. The first act, before they even set foot in Pyongyang, has them at their best. The usual improvisation flows nicely; getting celebrities to admit controversies and amicably quoting Lord of the Rings punches high, but the tone loses its touch in the second act, when our newly assigned assassins spend most of their time apart. This is where Park and Diana Bang step in. Bang's chemistry with Rogen is thoroughly comical and Park makes a courageous attempt at playing Kim Jong-un. Their characters surpass Rogen and Franco in interest. Not knowing where Skylark stands with the President is the bomb. The third act is outrageous, hitting the political spots well, and proves that taking the piss out of world issues and threats can be made mockery of like any other subject.

3/5