The Watch

You'd better Watch out for this one.

     The Watch is a comedy about four guys who form a neighborhood watch to protect their community while having fun at the same time.  It tells it's story through interesting characters, well timed and thought out jokes, and a well paced plot... however, that's when the aliens attack.

Oh sorry, spoiler alert.

       

     The Watch follows Ben Stiller who plays Evan Trautwig, a man who cares deeply for his home town and forms several community groups as his main way of socializing.  After a friend was murdered, he forms a neighborhood watch in order to protect his community.  However, the only recruits he can manage to get are dysfunctional family man Bob (Vince Vaughn), borderline psychopath Franklin (Jonah Hill), and British guy (This is literally the only way I can describe him) Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade).  While Evan wants to use the group to do some good, the other three use it as an excuse to hang out and get drunk.  Eventually, the four make their first bust on some rowdy teenagers and are on top of the world for actually doing something.  Their good time is cut short when they stumble upon an alien bent of taking over earth and soon find out that he has plenty of friends.  Now the four have to band together to overcome the odds and stop this alien menace with their own "unique" style of crime fighting.

I'm pretty sure Stiller knows how to handle some aliens.

 

     Now The Watch is a lot like visiting your favorite buffet when you are absolutely starving.  You fill up your plate and get ready to have your best meal all week.  Those first couple of bites are going to be amazing.  However, over time, you've had more than you could handle, and you just end up feeling pretty sick.  Around 30 minuets into the movie, I thought I was on track for an enjoyable film.  Watching Ben Stiller gathering the rest of the cast was very funny.  We get introduced to each character and learn what their deal is.  We are treated to some hilarious moments and each of these comedy veterans are able to showcase their comedic style we know them for.  For example, when exposed to an awkward situation, Ben Stiller would go into a wide eye shock and slowly try to comprehend the situation, Vince Vaughn would get irritated and yell about it, and Jonah Hill would most likely try to rationalize the situation out, coming to some stupid conclusion that makes sense only to his character.  This is the first movie I've seen Richard Ayoade in and he seems to use a more traditional deadpan delivery, similar to fellow British comedian, Ricky Gervais.  It was a blast watching these four very different guys coming together.  However, like that never ending Buffet, you'll soon get sick of it.

I'm pretty sure that Stiller could also handle overeating.

 

     The main plot of the movie is also it's main problem.  The alien invasion plot comes out of left field and as soon as it becomes the main focus of the movie, it starts to feel clunky and unfunny.  A movie like this really shouldn't have too much focus on the main plot, but rather a focus of the funny situations that happen along the way.  For example, their first bust was a teenager who threw eggs at them.  It takes four grown men to catch and arrest him.  After they do, the spare no expense in insulting him as the turn him over to the police.  This whole scene last around ten minutes, but it is funny the whole time.  The fact they are parading around for beating a high school kid shows how pathetic this watch is, and this was one of the few highlights of the movie for me.  This is what should have been the focus, these kind of odd situations.  I would have loved to see how Ben Stiller would have handled a burglary or bar fight.  As for a main plot, they could have done something much more down to earth (literally), like the watch having to take down the corrupt police department or them having to deal with the mob.  Honestly, anything would have been better than the aliens.  I would like to say that the alien design and puppetry effects were actually quite good and would have fit right in with a Ridley Scott film.

Robin Hood vs. Aliens, now that I'd watch.

 

     Another problem with this movie is the extreme use of vulgarity.  The Watch is certainly more of a guys film, but that doesn't mean that it should use as much phallic jokes and f-bombs it wants.  It was getting to the point where penis jokes and vulgarity were the only jokes in the movie, as though thats all it needs to appeal to guys like me.  Honestly, that is a little insulting.

     The film also tries to take its self seriously at times.  There is a subplot about Even feeling he failed his wife because he is unable to conceive children and hasn't told her.  This is suppose to say something about his character and he makes the community groups so he can deal with it.  With moments like this, it shows Ben Stiller's character is trying to be taken seriously, but you can't really do that after making a couple dozen penis jokes in your movie.

Then again, could you ever take Ben Stiller Seriously?

 

Overall:

 

The Watch starts off strong, there are some really funny moments and all seems well.  Then it falls flat on its face, tripping over its overuse of profanity and clumsy plot.  If a few things were changed around, this could have been an alright comedy.  If someone were to ask me why The Watch is bad, I would only have to use one word.