These stories are what fuel the talk show Skylark Tonight, hosted by Dave Skylark (James Franco) and produced by his best friend Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen). Shortly after celebrating their 1000th episode, Aaron is confronted by an old school friend of his who works on 60 minutes who mocks him for producing "fake news." After a small montage of Rapaport contemplating his life, Dave comes up with the grand idea of interviewing the ruthless Kim Jong-un.
The two give it a shot and just before all hope is gone, Skylark Tonight gets a confirmation for a scripted meeting with the North Korean Supreme Leader. Before Aaron and Dave embark on their quest overseas, they are visited by the C.I.A. and are presented with the mission to assassinate Kim Jong-un; knowing James Franco and Seth Rogen, we all know where it goes from there.
The Interview caused quite the conversation with the hacking of Sony and the threats made to any screenings of the film. Economically, little to nothing was spent on marketing due to the fact that it was on pretty much every news channel across the world. So, considering the movie has been out for a while, it was about time I found out what all the hype was about.
First of all, Seth Rogen is Seth Rogen. He played Seth Rogen in Knocked-Up, he played Seth Rogen in This is The End, and he plays Seth Rogen in The Interview. Therefore, not much can be expected out of him considering he has a universal role he utilizes for every film he stars in. James Franco on the other-hand, can really play his part no matter what genre of movies he stars in allowing him to perfectly execute his character Dave Skylark.
The plot-line itself it was a bit cliché. It had the typical "I told you so" plot twist. But being a comedy movie, you can't expect a well developed story-line. The jokes at times were dry and redundant at times. Luckily, James Franco was there to keep the viewer laughing with his careless character Dave Skylark. Out of the whole movie, what stood out the most was the day of adventure and partying Dave had with Kim Jong-un where they drove a tank and bonded together to Katy Perry's "Firework," played basketball, and of course, partied their asses off.
The Interview also has it fair share of symbolical value to it. Kim Jong-un's manipulative ability to portray who he wants Dave Skylark to see reflects what his regime has done to the country of North Korea. Color also plays a key part in this film. Throughout all North Korea, all we see as a viewers are shades of grey. This includes Kim Jong-un's fortress as well. It is constructed with dark grey brick with the only other color noticeable being the red on the North Korean Flag; a classic representation of power. This all changes when Dave and Aaron arrive. Their bedrooms are beautifully decorated and filled with all sorts of colors representing the rest of society or the United States itself.
Despite all the subtle symbolism presented in The Interview, it managed to keep me laughing throughout its entire run. Although its a movie that can easily get tiring, it's a good flick to watch with a couple of bros on a Friday night. The Interview has earned itself a 6.2/10.
Skylark Tonight:
