- Film Review
- Reviewed By Terry Staunton
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3 out of 5
This crude but often funny comedy stars Ben Stiller as a suburban store manager who decides to form a neighbourhood watch group after his night security guard is murdered. Unfortunately, his call to action attracts only misfits: boorish sports fan Vince Vaughn, angry police academy reject Jonah Hill and recently divorced oddball Richard Ayoade (The IT Crowd). Their efforts are cruelly mocked by the equally bumbling and ineffective local police force, but when it transpires that the killer is an extraterrestrial acting as advance guard for a full-on invasion, Evan and his hapless heroes must find a way to save not just their neighbours but the entire planet. The overall premise is a little on the flimsy side - think a smutty Ghost Busters set in the suburbs - but director Akiva Schaffer piles on the jokes and set pieces to keep things moving. Stiller is splendid as the kind of uptight character he has played many times before, but it's Vaughn, as a good-time guy battling both aliens and his teenage daughter's boyfriend, who gets the pick of the gags.
Plot Summary
A small-town supermarket manager organises a neighbourhood watch group to patrol his community after a suspicious death, but finds the only recruits he can gather do not take the job seriously. They soon face a greater threat than crime when they uncover a secret alien invasion going on under their noses. Sci-fi comedy, starring Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Evan
- Ben Stiller
- Bob
- Vince Vaughn
- Franklin
- Jonah Hill
- Jamarcus
- Richard Ayoade
- Abby
- Rosemarie DeWitt
- Sergeant Bressman
- Will Forte
- Chucho
- Mel Rodriguez
- Hero Alien
- Doug Jones
- Chelsea
- Erin Moriarty
- Jason
- Nicholas Braun
- Manfred
- R Lee Ermey
- Neighbour
- Billy Crudup
Crew
- Director
- Akiva Schaffer
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