Sausage Party Review

Aug 2

Preview

R: Strong Crude Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, and Drug Use

Columbia Pictures, Annapurna Pictures, Point Grey

1 hr and 28 Minutes

Voice Cast: Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, with Salma Hayek, and Conrad Vernon

In a supermarket called Shopwell's, various groceries all dream of one thing: To be chosen by a customer and taken to their home. But soon enough, they learn the horrible truth about what happens to food when it is let into human hands. Then, from the terrified groceries, a sausage emerges, named Frank, and vows to warn his friends back at Shopwell's of their terrifying future, and in the process wages war with the human race.

REVIEW: Eight years ago (probably when they was super baked), Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg had an idea of how would be like if our food had emotions. Immediately they realized that would be very messed up because you know, we eat them which pretty much means death. They proclaimed the film being not only a R-rated animated film, but the first CG R rated animated film. It was hard getting the film off the ground and having it animated by an animation studio, but thanks to Greg Tiernan (and his animation studio that animates Thomas the Tank Engine) and Conrad Vernon (co-director of Shrek 2 and Monsters Vs. Aliens) serving as directors we finally have our 1st ever CG R-rated animated film which is Sausage Party.

THE GOOD: Since as far of 2013’ This is the End I have found Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg come up with the most craziest and rather creative ideas. Even if some of their films aren’t even good, they manage to create ideas that are both hysterical, creative, risky, and raunchy. All of these are reasons why a film like Sausage Party works.

As if the concept wasn’t funny enough, the constant sexual and vulgar dialogue keeps this film moving along. If it wasn’t being sexual or vulgar, there were subtle and clever twists that we see in popular animated films that we see from Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks and they’re extremely funny. The movie takes different aspects of films like Ratatouille and Toy Story to add a bit more twisted humor. There’s even a clever idea how in order to make people see the food as anthropomorphic beings, they have to be on drugs. There’s even an original song in the openingwritten by Academy Award winning songwriting legend Alan Menken that sets the basis what was in store for the humor. The film’s humor is very close to an episode of South Park. It’s vulgar, thoughtful, and constantly hilarious. Some of the humor even relies on shock value which works. There are things shown that you’ll never think you’ll see in both an animated film or a film in general. There comes a point you question how in the hell can an animator animate this without barfing, cringing, or laughing their ass off. There is offensive racial humor that is shockingly clever for different races are shown as food items.

Some of the characters introduced are extremely funny mainly because of the actors voicing them. You have Salma Hayek as a lesbian taco, Bill Hader as a Native American type Liquor, Edward Norton as a Jewish bagel who sounds like Woody Allen, the list goes on and on and its unbelievable. But the character who steals the film the most is in the main antagonist which is Nick Kroll as douche. No Nick Kroll isn’t the playing his famous character douche from Parks and Rec (which is funny cause this marks the second time Nick Kroll is playing a douche). Seriously Nick Kroll plays an actual douche who acts like a regular douche. Think of all the douches in Entourage rolled into one character which is just Nick Kroll as douche. He says bro and uses slang at the end of every sentence and spends most of the film getting “juiced up” and not in the ways you think it means.

Besides the sex jokes and constant cursing, something this film has that you don’t see in many films in general, an anti religious theme. It’s sort of ironic as growing up, Veggietales was the source (well other than the bible) that made children believe in God only for a film like Sausage Party to make those kids who are now adults by now debunk the belief of God. There is a lot of religious undertones of why we should believe something if there is no proof and that is one of the prominent plotlines through this whole film.

I want parents to take their children to see this. I really do. I’ve been to screenings of R rated films where parents took their kids to see and was just appalled to see kids at the films I have seen. I saw a 10 year old laughing her ass off at Millions Way to Die in the West in 2014. But in all honesty I have seen a lot of shitty parents take their kids to the worst films that they shouldn’t be introduced to at their age. But with this movie, take em. It doesn’t matter how much the marketing keeps screaming its R rating down your throat, I know some dumbass parent will take their kids to see Sausage Party. And years later from now if your kid grows being fucked up, it’s your fault because this movie will mess your kid up. I’m 18 years old and this is the weirdest film I’ve seen this year (which was previously taken by High Rise). Just wait because when the climax which takes the term “food porn” to a whole new level, you will be declared as the worst parent of the year.

THE BAD: A thing that Sausage Party has that is annoying is the pacing. The movie itself is short and it moves pretty fast but when the film is stuck it just results to being immature with insults and language. They use the “c” word more than three times when its completely unnecessary. The first time its used its funny because its off guard, but the other times its just mean spirited. There comes a point you’re just tired and say “okay we get it you’re rated R, can you stop cursing..for one minute?”

The animation is average. The animation itself is something that looks like it came from a straight to DVD animation studio that got lucky with it’s first theatrical release. The designs are there and looks like a mixture of Disney and Genndy Tartakovsky. There are moments the film looks fully rendered, other times you feel it wasn’t. Then sometimes the movement is too frantic but then the movement is smooth. Its a constant back and forth with the speed of animation and it throws you a bit off at times.

LAST STATEMENT: When you thought you saw him do the craziest, Seth Rogen’s Sausage Party takes the cake as the craziest Seth Rogen film ever made, Not only its a hysterically raunchy and jaw drooping comedy, but manages to have food for thought with a risky theme that you don’t see in many films.

Rating: 4/5 | 83%