filmpudding
I love Danny McBride in pretty much everything else I've ever seen him in but I couldn't stand this movie. I made myself get through the whole thing constantly reminding myself that it had to get better but it just never did.There were a couple of pretty good jokes that made me laugh a bit, like the guy on the floor in the bank and the ink packs were definitely funny parts. But overall it was just one bad joke after another. Too bad because the premise is great, that two guys kidnap a pizza delivery boy, strap a bomb vest to him with a timer and also remote detonator, and tell him to rob a bank and get $100,000 for them by that night or he'd blow up.I also like Jesse Eisenberg in the few things I've seen him in, but just couldn't stand this movie at all. I guess it's probably huge fun for potheads, but overall it's just one bad joke after another, and pretty predictable.
Troy Putland
30 Minutes or Less is one short film, but snappier than a angry crocodile. The story's ludicrous, but sustains our suspension of disbelief. An immature man (Dany McBride), living under a strict, wealthy father, plots his assassination. Along with his not-as-stupid-but-still-stupid best friend (Nick Swardson), they strap a bomb to a pizza delivery guy (Jesse Eisenberg), and force him to rob a bank, so they can pay for a hit-man to bump off McBride's father. McBride and Swardson's stupidity match their unquestionable plans. The bank robbery's not exaggerated or understated thanks to the directing skills of Ruben Fleischer (known for Zombieland) and the main man Jesse Eisenberg. Now comfortable in the comedy field, Eisenberg naturally juggles humour with nerves. 30 Minutes or Less is chock-full of humour, action and energetic dialogue, all the while keeping character's traits. 30MoL comes with a weakness though: Danny McBride. He manages to uphold the 'biggest moron' and 'biggest typecast' awards, producing the fewest laughs. Aziz Ansari however, picks up the award for the most. He's the yin to Eisenberg's yang, joining Eisenberg on the nightmare of all days.
FilmBuff1994
30 Minutes or Less is a good movie with a well written storyline and a great comedic cast.The script is nothing outstanding and there were certainly no parts that had me laughing out loud,but the movie definitely benefited from a good cast that seemed to get on very well together.Jesse Eisenberg did a good job,he's a great actor and really managed to work his way around a mediocre script,the scenes between him and Aziz Ansari are definitely the movies highlights,but I did expect more from him and Ruben Fleischer since it was their first film together since the hilarious Zombieland.Its certainly not a comedy I would highly recommend,but 30 Minutes or Less is a short (running for under 90 minutes) and has many funny moments that definitely make it worth a watch if you ever see it on television and have some time to kill. A pizza boy finds himself swept up in a heist when he is kidnapped and blackmailed in to robbing a bank.Best Performance: Jesse Eisenberg Worst Performance: Nick Swardson
MisterWhiplash
The second feature film from Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer (but not the same film's writers) is ostensibly an "original" comedy, but borrows heavily from the true case of a pizza delivery guy who got kidnapped by two crooks, strapped with a bomb and forced to go and rob a bank. In his case it was not a comedy at all, and the guy did die (the bomb was also strapped to his head, kind of a different and more f***ed-up scenario this film wouldn't touch even if it could try). But for Fleischer and company, who needs to make it all dramatic? Or even make much sense in terms of plot? The movie carries its moments, mostly through improvisation (or what would appear to be just going off on small tangents by actors like Danny McBride and Jesse Eisenberg, the latter the pizza guy who gets the bomb strapped to him by McBride and his co-hort). And there were even those few moments where I found myself laughing hard at the actors' repore, especially when Eisenberg and Aziz Ansari get into a good groove riffing off each other about, say, their foolishness in messing each other's respective ex-girlfriends and/or sisters. And the actual bank robbery carries some real thrills (if capped by a mediocre car chase aided by some weak 80's car-chase parody).Ultimately I couldn't get over how needlessly complicated the plot was in McBride's plot to knock off his father, played by Fred Ward (who actually steals his scenes completely as a crazed ex-Major who won the lottery), as a plot to make millions comes down to a pizza delivery boy. Perhaps if Elmore Leonard was brought in for a rewrite it could've been made brilliant.As it stands it's a stupid story perked up by a stupid series of comic-suspense set-pieces as Eisenberg and Anzari prepare for the robbery. For some the crazy hijinks will be enough. For me, it could have done a lot more, despite the principal cast members doing their best to bring it up to something better.
AD
