The Watch (*1/2 out of ****)

How hard is it to recreate Ghostbusters? It doesn't seem as difficult as all these knockoffs are making it to be. A good mix of comedy and fear, great one liners, lovable cast, an interesting location and a gimmick fascinating that you won't see in any kind of movie. The Watch feels and looks like a film that was made to be a raunchy modern Ghostbusters. However what we got here is an unfunny, needless profound, boringly simple and just plain messy film.

Instead writing a love letter to New York as in Ghostbusters, The Watch takes place in a suburb almost like any other that leaves too little of an impression. If it had left no impression it might have been a smart little detail about boring suburb life, but that's not really the case. Evan (I'm just in it for the money Ben Stiller) is a active member of his suburb and after a murder in the Costco he manages, Evan starts a neighborhood watch. Joining him are Bob (Vince Vaughn brining his obnoxious frat guy attitude with him), Franklin (Jonah Hill looking lost and confused) and the Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade deserved a better Hollywood debut). The four hunt for the murder but it turns out instead of some serial killer, the culprit(s) is/are other worldly life. These aliens look to destroy Earth of course but can our four lovable loser stop them? You'll have to see for yourself (Or just read about it and save your money).

The Watch doesn't have much original humor. The characters use curse words left and right but without any fun to them. It's like the idea that simply swearing in unusual ways is actual humor. There are some funny parts here but their quick and surrounded by weak jokes. It's very disappointing this film is quite bad with the talent involved. The four actors involved have done hilarious things in the past (some more than others), the director Akiva Schaffer made the hilariously absurd Hot Rod and  Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg helped write the screenplay (they also did Superbad and Pineapple Express). Yet The Watch ends up failing for the most part even with all that talent. There is also the unneeded subplot of Evan's failure to have a child with his wife (Rosemarie DeWitt wasting her talent here). It's poor drama in a mediocre comedy. It's not an unwatchable film but thankfully very forgettable.

*1/2 out of ****