Observe and Report Delights and Disturbs

Seth Rogen, center, plays Ronnie Barnhardt, the head of a crack team of mall cops in the brutally funny new movie Observe and Report. Photo: Peter Sorel/Warner Bros. Don't see R-rated Observe and Report if you expect a mainstream comedy with standard-issue gross-out scenes leading to a happy ending. Instead, steel yourself for a jarring journey into the twisted world of bipolar security guard Ronnie Barnhardt, played by Seth Rogen. Surprisingly complex, Observe and Report, which opens Friday, is by turns bloody and bawdy, frightening and silly, disturbing and wickedly funny. See also: Seth Rogen Goes From Geeky Comic Hero to 'Super Antihero' Gun-Loving, Zombie-Hating Twins Geek Out in Observe and Report Writer-director Jody Hill, who kicked up some laughs with abrasive Taekwondo comedy The Foot Fist Way, knows he's veering into uncomfortable territory with his second feature film. "I figured there'd be a few freaks that like it, but it's probably a polarizing film, you know what I mean? It's not for everybody," he told Wired.com in an interview after the movie's world premiere at the South by Southwest festival last month in Austin, Texas. Some unsuspecting ticket-holders will undoubtedly walk out of Observe and Report wondering what the hell they just witnessed. But those with a taste for damaged antiheroes will find much to like in a film that dares to mix nuance, vomit and violence into a delirious cinematic cocktail flavored with equal parts Pulp Fiction, The Big Lebowski and There's Something About Mary The movie's biggest surprise: Geek comedy king Rogen breaks from his lovable schlub persona to portray delusional mall cop Ronnie. Beefy and sporting a burr cut, the clean-shaven actor shows genuine acting range, especially during the many awkward moments when the real world intrudes on his character's delusions of grandeur. As head of Forest Ridge Mall's weak-ass security force, Ronnie rules his underlings with an iron fist as they do battle with skateboarders and vandals. When a flasher in a trench coat invades Ronnie's walled-off world, the self-important mall cop seizes the opportunity to look heroic. He also gets an introduction to real-world police work, courtesy of no-nonsense investigator Detective Harrison (played by Ray Liotta), who pegs Ronnie as a potentially dangerous dumbass. In the weird little drama that unfolds, Rogen's oaf staggers through a series of tiny victories and humiliating defeats. A bipolar braggart with gun fantasies who is burdened with a softly abusive drunk of a mother (Celia Weston), Ronnie gets his jollies by beating up skateboarders and squaring off against crack dealers. Rogen fully inhabits the flawed character, displaying surprising depth in his portrayal of what the actor calls a "super antihero." Observe and support: Actors Celia Weston, Michael Peña, Anna Faris and Collette Wolfe (left to right) turn up the laughs. Photos: Peter Sorel/Warner Bros. Rogen benefits from an extremely strong supporting cast. Michael Peña (Crash, Babel) earns standout laughs as Dennis, Ronnie's ridiculous right-hand man. Anna Faris (The House Bunny, the Scary Movie series) gets saucy (and sauced) as Brandi, a cosmetics-counter party girl who inspires Ronnie's fantasy life. Patton Oswalt plays the asshole boss who torments Nell (Collette Wolfe), a fragile food-court employee who sees Ronnie's softer side. And machine-gunning twins John and Matt Yuan inject a geeky goof factor as backup for their boss Ronnie. Artfully edited, Observe and Report also features a surging soundtrack that suits the movie's many moods as it darts between adrenalized rockers and softer songs. For all that, Hill's quirky, politically incorrect movie isn't for everyone. Viewers with no stomach for foul language, comedic drug abuse, brutal fight scenes, conflicted characters and full-frontal male nudity should stay home. But for those who appreciate a rough-around-the-edges dark comedy, get to the theater this weekend and show Hollywood that movies don't have to be mainstream to hit the mainline. That's an order. Wired: Brutal laughs; high-as-a-kite kiddie train ride. Tired: Co-stars a penis. Rating: Read Underwire's movie ratings guide. See also: Gun-Loving, Zombie-Hating Twins Geek Out in Observe and Report Movies: Observe and Report May Slay Dragonball SXSW: Observe and Report Makes Violently Funny Premiere Review: Pineapple Express Lightens Superhero Overload Review: Zack and Miri Scores With Funny Porno Farce