IMDb > Observe and Report (2009)
Observe and Report
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Observe and Report (2009) More at IMDbPro »

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Observe and Report (2009) -- Bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher in his shopper's paradise. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective, is recruited to close the case.
Observe and Report (2009) -- Clip: It´s a date
Observe and Report (2009) -- Here's a featurette from the movie Observe & Report.
Observe and Report (2009) -- Interview: Seth Rogen "On his character"
Observe and Report (2009) -- Bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper's paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective, is recruited to close the c

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   17,490 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Jody Hill (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Observe and Report on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Right now, the world needs a hero.
Plot:
Bi-polar mall security guard Ronnie Barnhardt is called into action to stop a flasher from turning shopper's paradise into his personal peep show. But when Barnhardt can't bring the culprit to justice, a surly police detective, is recruited to close the case. | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(162 articles)
Quentin Tarantino's Top Eight Movies of the Year
 (From Get The Big Picture. 15 December 2009, 12:19 PM, PST)

Quentin Tarantino Picks His Top 8 Films of 2009
 (From Collider.com. 14 December 2009, 4:30 PM, PST)

User Comments:
A very competent comedy more (169 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Seth Rogen ... Ronnie Barnhardt

Ray Liotta ... Detective Harrison

Michael Peña ... Dennis

Anna Faris ... Brandi

Dan Bakkedahl ... Mark

Jesse Plemons ... Charles

John Yuan ... John Yuen

Matt Yuan ... Matt Yuen
Celia Weston ... Mom

Collette Wolfe ... Nell
Randy Gambill ... Pervert
Alston Brown ... Bruce
Cody Midthunder ... D-Rock
Deborah Brown ... Female Reporter (as Debra-Jayne Brown)
Aziz Ansari ... Saddamn
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence.
Runtime:
86 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The role of Detective Harrison was originally written for Danny McBride. He had to turn it down however due to commitment to other projects. Ray Liotta then got the part. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Brandi is driving her car right before the pervert assaults her at the parking area, you can clearly see the spoiler move. more
Quotes:
Saddamn: You wanna cover them little breasts with some bubbles? more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Super Freek (Remix) more

FAQ

What is the song playing in Brandis car as she drives into the parking lot?
Is "Observe and Report" based on a book?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
A very competent comedy, 30 October 2009
8/10
Author: collipal-1 from Argentina

It is easy to prejudge Observe and Report, because the plot summary from this movie seems to indicate that it will explore the same territory as the atrocious Paul Blart: Mall Cop, because we also have a security guard from a shopping whose detective fantasies and delusions of greatness contrast with his ineptitude and zero authority.So, I started watching Observe and Report expecting a horrible movie, but I ended up taking a very nice surprise with it, because this comedy shows unexpected audacity and a twisted sense of humor which is much more dark and subversive than many comedies which imitate director Judd Apatow's style (like Semi-Pro or Forgetting Sarah Marshall).The result was a simultaneously funny, dramatic...and also disturbing experience.

Although it is structured as a comedy (and it really has various hilarious moments), I think it would be more precise to describe Observe and Report as a perverse parody which uses the bipolar disorder as a replacement of the generic stupidity which usually motivates the immature characters from the new North American comedy.By adding a medical condition as an excuse of the inappropriate and scandalous behaviours from the main character, the movie achieves to set itself on a different level, where the jokes keep being funny but they leave a bad taste which stays with the spectator for a long time.To explain this more clearly, I will compare two similar scenes on their shape, but deeply different on their effect: on the film Role Models, Paul Rudd's character insults a kid with enthusiasm, and that made me laugh because it shows the immature adult catching up to the level of his child rival; on Observe and Report, Seth Rogen's character makes the same, but his face expresses genuine aggression which borders on the abuse, and although that scene made me laugh, it is accompanied by a sensation of pity on the character.The best thing is that things like that feel very natural in this movie.The fails I found on it are some forced moments and a few moments which feel a bit rude.

However, I liked Observe and Report pretty much because of its audacious intention, grotesque humor and solid performances.Rogen shows a lot of conviction on his character; Ray Liotta perfectly transmits intensity on his role; Anna Faris is very funny (as always); Michael Peña is brilliant as a Mexican security guard; and Patton Oswalt has a short but funny appearance.It may not be a great film, but I found Observe and Report to be a very competent comedy, and I recommend it with confidence.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Song Question gigantorison
100 Things I learned from Observe and Report beb-13
Wow...this movie depressed me! AidaClarkfield
This could have been pretty good. joekenjam
Hated This Movie goldenskies
Date Rape Anyone? jeterforprez
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