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A young family discovers a fraternity moving in next door, and although they initially try to win them over with smiles and coolness, a noise complaint starts a feud that escalates to the absurd (but not as mean as we've seen before). There are no horses in the Dean's office, or naked videos of sorority girls. No, here we have a new generation of quick pranks that aren't the stars of the show as much as the reaction by the pranked. Besides, Punk'd and Jackass kind of created a new type of prank.
Maybe it's where I'm at in my own life, but the memories of the fraternity twisted with the upcoming (very rapidly approaching) birth of my first child blend a sort of resonance with both of the main characters. Mac (Seth Rogen) is a child at heart, and is living the young family dream with a wife he loves, a new baby that he has no idea how to take care of, a job he hates, and a new home he can barely afford. It hits pretty close to home. Teddy (Zach Efron) is the fraternity president who moves in next door and parties like Belushi, without the alcohol poisoning. He's a little too cool to be in college and shows off the new breed of frat guy; sophisticated, suave and carefree, but still hopelessly devoted to the brotherhood and the tradition. His only dream is to make it onto the wall of fame one day (a hilarious cameo-laden montage of frat lore).
Mac's wife, Kelly (Rose Byrne) is as immature as he is, tossing aside the cliche uptight wife to the clown, or the hot wife to the funny guy. The two of them share a beautiful chemistry that maintains its authenticity from start to finish, and that is what has been missing from other attempts at this type of film.
Then there's the frat guys.
Zach Efron is the double-threat as chiseled heartthrob comedian, and he stands his ground against Seth Rogen in what might be his best performance yet. Like Channing Tatum's comic explosion with 21 Jump Street, Zach has a future in comedy as well. His character has slightly more depth than others from films of the past, and is much more Tim Matheson than Louis Skolnick, and I mean that with all respect, nerds. The writers pull no punches in his development however, and that's what really satisfies. He has his flaws, but it is displayed lightly enough that we as an audience love it.
Enough over-analyzing, yes? The writers hit the nail on the head with their pacing, dialogue, and supporting characters. True, many of the funniest sequences are seen in the previews, and Rogen goes to his wheelhouse as the self-deprecating funny man. OK, Seth, you're chubby and unattractive. Blah, blah, blah. He owns it though, and that confidence is funny.
After the two initially hit it off in a great party scene, they declare war on each other, but it isn't mean-spirited (at least it's not portrayed in that way), and yes, Chris Nashawaty, the rest of the neighbors ignoring the massive parties is a bit unrealistic, but this film has a laser focus, and the rest of the neighborhood (or the school apparently) isn't a part of the story. Neighbors is light-hearted comedy, just as it's supposed to be.
It's brilliant when you think about it, merging two comedies into one. Frat and young immature family. I was thoroughly impressed with the performances all around, including Dave Franco, Ike Barinholtz, and the scene-stealing baby Stella, played by Elise and Zoey Vargas. Of course, maybe I'm biased. A little bit nostalgic, a little bit hopeful of the future. There is a happy middle ground between young family and frat life. 8/10.
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