Observe And Report (2009) - The seldom-seen `dark side' of cuddly Seth Rogen  

I'm writing this review after a second viewing of Observe and Report. I've always been a fan of Seth Rogan's light-hearted (if adult) humour, so when I first saw this, I was a little let down. The cuddly fat man we can't help but root for has been replaced here by a bi-polar mall security guard who's temper frequently gets him into trouble.

It wasn't until the second viewing (when I wasn't expecting some sort of sweet-natured feel-good comedy, like the 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up) that I really appreciated it. I also like my humour dark. And, if you're in the mood for something pretty grisly and taboo-breaking, you may just get something out of this. Basically, if you haven't laughed in the first ten minutes, turn it off and watch something more mainstream.

As I mentioned earlier, Rogen plays Ronnie Barnhardt, a mall security guard with delusions of grandeur. He thinks he's the hero, but the audience knows otherwise - which is where most of the humour derives from. He also has bi-polar disorder - a mental condition that means he's quite tolerable one minute (and we, the audience, can also unwittingly think the `old loveable' Rogen is back. Then, cut to the next scene and he's battering some kid with a skateboard.

Observe and Report is laden with poignancy and subtle humour. Basically, only watch if you're in the mood for black comedy and laced with taboos. Nothing is sacred here - expect racism, full frontal male untidy, date rape and plenty of violence and mental illness.

If you think you can find the funny side to all that, Observe and Report may just be for you.

Besides, it has a wicked soundtrack (if you're into classic rock).

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one