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From Animal House to Old School to .php>Monsters University, fraternities and sororities often find their way onto the big screen—generally with pretty wild and crazy results. But in his latest outrageous comedy, Neighbors, Forgetting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller offers a new perspective on frat life.
Neighbors stars Seth Rogen as Mac Radner, a new father who’s just moved with his wife, Kelly (Rose Byrne), and their infant daughter into a beautiful new home. As their childless friends continue to party without them, Mac and Kelly settle into their lives as responsible adults. But everything changes for the happy little family when the Delta Psi Beta fraternity moves in next door.
For a while, it seems as though their new neighbors will provide a much-needed escape from their dull, grown-up lives. But when the partying gets out of hand, Mac and Kelly find themselves at war with the frat boys and their vengeful leader, Teddy (Zac Efron).
Greek life meets family life in this over-the-top comedy, pitting a couple of worn-out parents against a house full of hard-partying college kids—with often shockingly hilarious results. As is often the case with outrageous comedies, though, the film’s humor has its share of ups and downs. Given the subject matter, it’s no big surprise that the gags are about as raunchy as you can get. For the most part, it handles the crude comedy well, but it does have some moments when it goes too far—and the laughs turn to groans.
The pacing also has its share of ups and downs. At times, the story drags, as the combatants prepare for their next battle. And although the film is just 96 minutes long, it still feels a little too drawn-out, as if it’s trying to stretch a 60-minute story into a 90-minute runtime. Some of the scenes end up feeling more like a stall for time than an important part of the action, but those slow moments pay off when it all builds up to one last epic party—and one epic battle for neighborhood supremacy.
What makes the film, however, is its cast. Rogen seems to fit perfectly into the role of the reluctant grown-up. His character tries to be hip in the most idiotic of ways—and while that could easily become annoying, Rogen makes it work. Efron, meanwhile, is just as entertaining as the villainous frat boy who refuses to grow up. He’s so earnest in his quest for partying greatness that you can’t help but love him—at least a little bit. In fact, this is Efron’s best role since he got his big break eight years ago in Disney’s High School Musical. Put them together, the two stars make a strange—yet strangely appealing—pair.
It may feature an adorable little girl, but Neighbors is anything but a cute family comedy. It’s crude and obnoxious and completely over-the-top—and it’s a little uneven, too. But if you can handle the wild frat house action, you’ll enjoy this outrageous comic battle.
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