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Observe and Report (2009)
Release Date:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

MPAA Rating:
R

Rating Reason:
Pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence.

Genre:
Comedy

Starring:
Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Collette Wolfe

Written By:
Jody Hill

Director:
Jody Hill

Official Site:
Observe and Report (2009)

Synopsis:
At the Forest Ridge Mall, head of security Ronnie Barnhardt patrols his jurisdiction with an iron fist, combating skateboarders, shoplifters and the occasional unruly customer while dreaming of the day when he can swap his flashlight for a badge and a gun.

Ronnies delusions of grandeur are put to the test when the mall is struck by a flasher. Driven by his personal duty to protect and serve the mall and its patrons, Ronnie seizes the opportunity to showcase his underappreciated law enforcement talents on a grand scale, hoping his solution of this crime will earn a coveted spot at the police academy and the heart of his elusive dream girl Brandi, the hot make-up counter clerk who won't give him the time of day.

But his single-minded pursuit of glory launches a turf war with the equally competitive Detective Harrison of the Conway Police, and Ronnie is confronted with the challenge of not only catching the flasher, but getting him before the real cops do.

Observe and Report (2009) | Preview

Delusions of Grandeur
Jeremy Zondlo

Content Image
Funnyman Seth Rogen, responsible for Knocked Up, Superbad, and Pineapple Express, among other things, is back once again with the latest installment to his comedic repertoire, Observe and Report. It is an outrageously funny film that stops at nothing to surprise, shock, and sometimes even horrify its audience. Although it teeters on the edge of almost being too disgusting at times, comedy fans will find a great deal of laughs and crude humor typical of Rogen and his unique style of punch-you-in-the-face comedy.

This time, Rogen appears as Ronnie Barnhardt, a bipolar mall security guard... er, that is head of security... who dreams of one day rising above his station at the mall and becoming a real police officer. When a flasher invades the mall, preying upon innocent females in the parking lot (including Brandi, the girl behind the cosmetics counter whom Ronnie dreams of day and night) Ronnie is called into action and sees the opportunity to make his big break. However, instead of taking the opportunity to actually catch the pervert, Ronnie spends his time enjoying free cups of coffee, accusing people he has personal feelings against, daydreaming about Brandi, and talking about what a great head of security he is.

While Ronnie is busy pursuing his own objectives, a real police officer, Detective Harrison, is brought in to finish what Ronnie can't manage to do and find and stop the real criminal. With someone else encroaching upon his territory, Ronnie is immediately on the defensive and does everything in his power to undermine Detective Harrison's investigation. This pits Ronnie and Detective Harrison against each other as enemies with the same objective: capture the criminal and completely destroy each other in the process.

As Ronnie and Harrison both set about their objectives in different ways a few things become clear. Ronnie is completely incapable of conducting an investigation of any kind, criminal or not; he is unsuccessful at accomplishing anything without some intense name-calling and fist-fighting; and he is unable to take the hint that any time he shows up around Brandi she does everything in her power to make him leave. Despite all of these facts that are clear to everyone in the audience, Ronnie still believes that not only is he the best man for the job and a superior, competent police officer, but that he is moments away from sealing the deal with Brandi. He is, in essence, completely delusional.

Although Ronnie's delusions of grandeur are outrageous and hysterical, it is not hard to see where they come from. Ronnie is so caught up and stuck in what he thinks is right and what is best that he completely loses sight of what is actually going on around him. He is convinced that becoming a police officer is the right course for his life and the first step forward to accomplishing this goal is catching the flasher running around the mall. He is also fixated on Brandi and the idea that she is the perfect woman for him and that they are meant to be together. He believes so much that these are the best things for his life that he is blind to the better things that are right in front of him.

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