In 30 Minutes or Less, each of the main actors capitalize on former on-screen personas to coast through a version of a real-life horror story repackaged into a Hollywood comedy. This is nowhere near the worst film of the year, but it’s also nothing to write home about and, at best, it’s maybe worth a viewing on home video.

Ruben Fleischer’s second feature takes a similar approach to genre considerations as his debut film Zombieland did: 30 Minutes or Less operates in a world in which movies exist, and his characters use popular culture to influence their actions. When two jackasses (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) strap a bomb to pizza delivery guy Nick’s (Jesse Eisenberg) chest to coerce him to rob a bank, Nick sits on a toilet while researching ways to diffuse it, calling to mind a similar scene in Lethal Weapon 2. Later, Nick says he doesn’t know how to rob the bank, but his best friend, an elementary school teacher named Chet (Aziz Ansari), points out that Point Break is a perfect instruction manual of how to pull off the job. An action-filled car chase plays over Glenn Frey’s “The Heat Is On,” a song that perfectly encapsulates 80s cop comedies, first appearing in Beverly Hills Cop.

The film succeeds in these moments, but unfortunately can’t sustain that success for the rest of the movie. When it’s not overtly referencing other movies, the movie aimlessly wanders between recycled plot points (best friends fight, make up, band together to accomplish their mission; stupid guy wants to kill rich dad, hires assassin, there’s a mix-up) that aren’t enough to make us truly care what happens to any of the characters. A half-assed love story between Nick and Chet’s sister Kate is a pitiful attempt to make the protagonist sympathetic, but it’s a failure on every level. There isn’t much acting going on here: these guys are basically playing versions of themselves that we’ve seen before in other media, and it really feels like everyone involved (including Fleischer behind the camera) was mailing this one in.

I’m not looking for one hundred percent realism when it comes to mainstream Hollywood comedies, but when Aziz plays a school teacher who bails on his kids in the middle of the day to follow Eisenberg around, I feel like it’s not too much to wonder what happens to those kids sitting there without a teacher for the rest of the day. Same thing with the money stolen from the bank – aren’t the cops going to come looking for it? The film ends – SPOILERS AHEAD – with the main trio of Jesse, Aziz, and Sister driving away into the night, talking about how much awesome stuff they’re going to buy with this money they stole. Sorry to be a buzzkill, but I’m pretty sure it’s not that easy to rob a bank and get away with it. The lack of difficulty in accomplishing their goals seems to run parallel to the laziness of this script as a whole. It’s flat, has no natural momentum, and even though there’s a literal ticking clock and the stakes and suspense should be ramped up, these guys take so many random side trips that nothing seems to matter at all by the finale.

At the end of the day, we can only watch Danny McBride do his Kenny Powers schtick for so long. It’s funny for a minute or two, and then it just gets tiring. I’m not placing the blame entirely on McBride here, since he’s one of many who are just breezing along here with no real heart or emotional investment, but he’s an easy target because, more than anyone else in this film, he just does the same thing in nearly every movie he’s in these days. It’s a problem found in a lot of actors these days, and on one hand you can’t fault them; these guys are just trying to cash in while they can because no one can predict when the tides of mainstream taste will change and leave them high and dry. But just because they are mailing it in, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. 30 Minutes or Less? Return to sender. Until next time…

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Columbia Pictures have released an international red band trailer for 30 Minutes or Less, a funny looking action-comedy from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer.

The movie stars recent Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network), Danny McBride (Your Highness) and Aziz Ansari (Get Him to the Greek), and reminds me of Superbad, just with slightly more action and flamethrowers.

You can watch the red band below:

In the action-comedy 30 Minutes or Less, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg) is a small town pizza delivery guy whose mundane life collides with the big plans of two wanna-be criminal masterminds (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson). The volatile duo kidnaps Nick and forces him to rob a bank. With mere hours to pull off the impossible task, Nick enlists the help of his ex-best friend, Chet (Aziz Ansari). As the clock ticks, the two must deal with the police, hired assassins, flamethrowers, and their own tumultuous relationship.

30 Minutes Or Less is scheduled for release on August 12.

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Aziz Ansari is a funny dude I first discovered when he used to do a show called Crash Test at the UCB theater in New York. The guy had a “Shittiest Mix Tape Challenge” where he challenged his roommate to make the shittiest mix tape possible. The loser had to walk around New York with a boom box blasting the horribleness. Aziz lost and the video was hilarious.

Since then, Ansari has scored himself a part in NBC’s Parks & Recreation and a part in Judd Apatow’s Funny People, where he plays a comedian named Randy who performs by hopping around, spitting catch-phrases and using samples from a DJ.

Funny People has been virally promoting itself around the web (American readers can, and should, check out faux-sitcom Yo Teach! on Hulu), and Raaaaaaaandy made his web debut on LaughYourDickOff.com where you can see some of Randy’s stand up, play with a sound board and read about his jumping.

Funny Or Die has now uploaded the first part in a documentary about Randy in promotion of Funny People at the end of the month.

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It’s been four years since The 40 Year Old Virgin had everyone talking about the return of the R-rated comedy. Two years ago, I accidentally took a date to Knocked Up, not expecting to actually have a conversation about my personal habits that didn’t make me “father material.” Judd Apatow has since spawned comedies from Seth Rogan and Jason Segel, bringing the term “bromance” to the forefront the modern adult comedy cinema vernacular.

And all it took was Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox story for people to start doubting, those doubters and their doubting doubts.

Well, doubt no more, because Apatow is back and in a decision that threw me at first, he’s brought Adam Sandler back with him. Yes, Adam Sandler, who I swore off after I Pronounce You Chuck And Larry turned out to be the most offensive and pointless thing I’ve seen in theaters in all my years of film-going. Don’t Mess With The Zohan wasn’t my cup of tea, but it was the first Sandler project that Apatow’s name popped up on (Judd got a writing credit).

Now, we have Funny People, Apatow’s directorial follow up to Knocked Up. It’s described thusly: When seasoned comedian George Simmons (Sandler) learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship cause him to take a relatively green performer (Rogen) under his wing as his opening act.

That doesn’t even mention that Jonah Hill, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, RZA, Aziz Ansari, Jason Schwartzman, and some comedians appearing as themselves (Sarah Silverman, Andy Dick) will be appearing to bring their funny.

To me, the Red Band trailer manages to be funny while keeping the subtle undertones of the mortality drama this flick could have become. Did it work for you as well?

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