The path of the child star never runs smooth, it is beset on all sides by beautiful people and drug temptation. Basically, anyone who manages to stay in Hollywood passed the tender age of 16 is really doing far better than expected, not only in terms of keeping their sanity together but the amount of work that they will have access to. Being the child star can lead to stereotyping in roles and can certainly lead to a familiarity with a young character that will leave casting directors fearful of casting a former child star in important parts. Case in point, Haley Joel Osment.
Thankfully, Zac Efron is one of those actors that has managed to make that transition quite easily. Yes, he has had an array of personal problems lately but that certainly hasn’t taken away from his work. Stay with us, because there are many that don’t believe us, but Efron is most certainly an all-rounder. He can sing (well a little), he can act and he can dance; he is the triple threat and it kind of helps that is not the most difficult guy to look at on the big screen. Efron has seamlessly gone from High School Musical to leading man in the blink of eye, he has literally grown up in front of our very eyes and now with Bad Neighbours, he may have just hit the comedy big time.
The film begins with young Mac and Kelly who have just moved to a brand new neighbourhood with their new baby, Stella. Although they are delighted with their new home and life, things take a turn for the worst when they realise the house next door to them has been sold to a fraternity from the local University. Initially, they seem “cool” with the entire affair, but soon the noise levels get a bit out of control. The one promise the couple made to the fraternity President, Teddy, is that they will not call the cops.
However, when the noise levels get so bad, that is exactly what they are forced to do and following the terrible phone call to the cops, things get a little out of hand. The frat parties get more and more out of control and with their backs against the wall, Mac and Kelly decide to hatch a couple of plans to take down the fraternity next door permanently.
Although this is basically just your run of the mill Seth Rogen/frat pack type of comedy, there is actually a lot to like in here. Seth Rogen gives his usual cheeky performance, the goofy former stoner who likes to make all the jokes rather than deal with emotional situations while Rose Byrne plays the annoyed wife quite brilliantly. With Byrne, during Rogen’s freelancing, she tends to get lost in the middle of everything and tends to say “yes” and “yeah” quite a bit, which can get more than a little tiring.
Efron and Franco, who plays the Vice President of the fraternity, are both better than you may have ever seen them before. Yes, Efron’s Teddy has all the looks and all the women, but he certainly delivers a fair amount of laughs while also managing to play his character with heart. At times, you can even feel sorry for him as he just seems like a lost child.
The film as a whole is hilarious, and although entirely filthy and perhaps a little too honest, it will certainly deliver the laughs with a brilliant script and some excellent over-and-back between Rogen and Efron. Some of the jokes can be a little close to the bone, but due to the subject matter, it really just gets away with it.
Don’t expect too much, but this is certainly a lot of fun and worth checking out. Even for Zac Efron’s torso alone.
