New ‘Neighbors’ Move In
‘NEIGHBORS 2′ TRAILER REVIEW BY METRO CREW
Two years after 30-something married couple Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) defeated their frat house neighbors led by Teddy (Zac Efron), things have calmed down. But when a wild sorority moves in next door, they have to unite with their former enemy to take it down. This may be a guilty pleasure movie, but we admit we want to see it. Neighbors 2 opens in wide release May 20.
JAIMIE: Why am I trying to contain little fits of laughter that pop up while watching this trailer? I did not watch the first Neighbors, and so I hope they don’t share the exact same plot because that would make me sad. But I do like this juxtaposition of young and old people in this one. Though, should I be worried that I find myself relating more to Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen and not the young people who just want to party?
CHRISTINA: I also couldn’t help but laugh at parts of this trailer, and I think I would totally see this, maybe against my better judgment. I wasn’t expecting it, but this looks decently funny. And hey, if it’s bad, at least there’s Zac Efron.
PAIGE: I like to imagine that after a string of mediocre dramas, Zac Efron sighed deeply and looked at the huge pile of beefcake comedy scripts lying next to him on a table. “I guess … it’s time,” he said, and then he did Neighbors and Dirty Grandpa and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates and Neighbors 2 and Baywatch … And then somehow he found his niche as a hot, dumb guy and he is owning it! I think he’s aiming for a career reinvention a la Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street.
CHRISTINA: I hope that Zac Efron doesn’t give up on his more dramatic pursuits, though. I think he’s got some talent. He gave a decent turn in The Paperboy, but I think he was largely overlooked because 1) he was easily overshadowed by Matthew McConaughey and John Cu-sack and 2) nobody even saw or liked that movie.
PAIGE: I’m guessing Selena Gomez makes a very undignified early exit given that she seems to be missing from all the later clips of Chloe Grace Moretz wreaking havoc. She did that in Spring Breakers, too. The girl who didn’t want to party. Maybe that’s her niche?
NICOLE: I’m predicting that Efron, Moretz, Rogen and Byrne will team up to take down Gomez’s prissy sorority that doesn’t host parties and doesn’t let their members smoke pot. And Gomez will be dethroned and Nu will take over the sorority house and move away from the frustrated couple.
JAMES: Why did it have to be sorority? Or college kids? Why not put them in a different situation? What if a cult moved in? Or some new start-up with a weird business model? Or just something a little bit unexpected?
CHRISTINA: I do like, though, that this film seems to depict girls acting just as idiotic as boys. That might sound weird to say, but in films like this, girls are usually sidelined to the boys’ antics as pretty partygoers, or as the uptight girlfriend. Although Moretz’s character is obviously amped up for comedic purposes, it feels, in some ways, more authentic.
