If there’s one thing to learn from the comedy Neighbors, it’s… well… actually, it’s very hard to determine if there is a point. At least other than generating a few laughs from some raunchy material. In the end, it’s a scatter-shot, sporadically funny effort that ekes just enough low-brow yuks to earn a minor recommendation.
Mac (Seth Rogan) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are a couple enjoying life as new parents. When a wild fraternity moves into the house next door, the pair attempt to befriend president Teddy (Zac Efron) and his friend Pete (Dave Franco) in the hopes of curtailing the inevitable noise. They eventually come to an arrangement. However, when Mac and Kelly can’t reach Teddy on the phone during a party the next night, the concerned parents call the police, who handle the incident in a less-than-subtle manner. The neighbors become bitter enemies and the two groups begin doing everything they can to make each other’s lives miserable.
The movie certainly strains suspension of disbelief early on. Immediately, one wonders why Mac doesn’t simply wander over to talk to Teddy instead of alerting the police. Or why the cop would single them out as the originators of the noise complaint and escalate a feud. It is a funny scene in the moment, but it doesn’t exactly make sense. Neither is a moment in which Mac and Kelly decide to make love in front of an open window in plain view of the frat, and then seem angered when they realize they are being watched. In truth, without these dopey actions the rivalry can’t intensify. And if there’s no conflict, there isn’t a movie.
While the set up is clumsy, there are some very funny gags. These include some amusingly awkward exchanges between the parents and students early on in the movie. When a car’s airbags are stolen and hidden in various locations, the movie not only pays them off effectively, but exploits a lot of humor following a terrified Mac search his own home. The movie also includes an entertaining scene between Teddy and Pete as young men attempting to come to grips with their emotions. Perhaps the most entertaining moment occurs during a violent confrontation between the two male leads, who ultimately end up doing more physical damage to themselves than each other.
Between the laughs there are plenty of cringe-worthy gags that result in some flat stretches. It’s also unfortunate that some of the themes introduced aren’t explored in more detail. In the beginning, it’s obvious that the couple want to relive their college days, while the kids appear to resent the family unit that is only a few into their own futures. There are definitely some dark elements at play that could have resulted in a more pointed black comedy. However, the satirical potential is cast aside for a slapstick approach to the material and its message eventually becomes as hazy as a drunken college keg party. It would have been truly enlightening to get a clearer understanding of the motivations behind the characters, and why these regular people feel compelled to do horrendous things to each other.
In spite of the missed potential, there a still a handful of scenes that generate belly laughs. Neighbors is hardly a comedy classic, but in the end just enough of it works to earn a passing grade.