The Watch (2012)

Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.

Director:

Akiva Schaffer

Writers:

Jared Stern, Seth Rogen

Stars:

Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Stiller	...	Evan
Vince Vaughn	...	Bob
Jonah Hill	...	Franklin
Richard Ayoade	...	Jamarcus
Rosemarie DeWitt	...	Abby
Will Forte	...	Sgt. Bressman
Mel Rodriguez	...	Chucho
Doug Jones	...	Hero Alien
Erin Moriarty	...	Chelsea
Nicholas Braun	...	Jason
R. Lee Ermey	...	Manfred
Joe Nunez	...	Antonio Guzman
Liz Cackowski	...	Carla
Johnny Pemberton	...	Skater Kid
Sharon Gee	...	Mrs. Kim

Storyline

In Glenview, Ohio, Evan is the manager of the Costco department store and married to Abby. When the Costco night watchman, Antonio Guzman, is mysteriously murdered, Evan organizes The Neighborhood Watch, a watch team with his suburban neighbors Bob, Franklin and Jamarcus to protect the neighborhood and find the killer of Antonio. Soon they discover that the murderer is an alien that is preparing to invade Earth, and they become the last hope of mankind on Earth.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | neighborhood watch | manager | escape | ohio | 

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Taglines:

Got Protection?

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 July 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Neighborhood Watch

Filming Locations:

Marietta, Georgia

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$12,750,297 (USA) (27 July 2012)

Gross:

$34,350,553 (USA) (12 October 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Dune Entertainment, 21 Laps Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

By taking on a role in this film, Jonah Hill had to drop out of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (2012), a part he had regarded as the perfect stepping stone for him to legitimatize his credentials as a dramatic actor. Various delays in production on Tarantino's project meant that Hill was still able to appear in the movie.

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Goofs

When Jamarcus tells Vince Vaughn that it's a good idea to go to his house for the group meeting he is reading a book but in the next scene the book is gone in JaMarcus's hands and then in the next scene after that he has the book back in his hands.

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Quotes

Evan: Costco is for members only.

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Crazy Credits

Teenager Announcer is played by Dax Flame, but is credited as Flax Dame

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Connections

Referenced in Blood and Guts with Scott Ian: Tony Gardner and Alterian Inc (2013)

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Soundtracks

I Got Mine
Written by Dan Auerbach and Patrick J. Carney (as Patrick Carney)
Performed by The Black Keys
Courtesy of Nonesuch Records
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

An Interesting Sci-Fi Comedy!

'The Watch' is An Interesting Sci-Fi Comedy, that makes good-use of its promising premise & its well-decorated star-cast. Its Fun!

'The Watch' Synopsis: Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.

'The Watch' isn't flawless. It has its share of minuses. But, overall, this first of its kind Sci-Fi Comedy appeals, because it makes you laugh at the right places & the performances are commendable. Talking of minuses, the uneven second-hour acts as a deterrent.

Jared Stern, Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg's Screenplay has merit. However, the second-hour, certainly, could've been more persuasive. Akiva Schaffer's Direction is credible. Cinematography & Editing are mentionable. Graphics are pretty cool. The Aliens are pretty creepy to look at!

Performance-Wise: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill & Richard Ayoade are the life of 'The Watch'. Stiller is highly efficient, while Vaughn continues to impress us with his impeccable comic-timing. Hill & Ayoade are equally effective, adding much more to their characters than offered. Also, the on-screen chemistry between the four of them, is interesting. Rosemarie DeWitt does her bit well. Will Forte is sincere.

On the whole, 'The Watch' does work, at most parts.