High profile exposure for average quality film

Lampooning North Korea and leader Kim Jong-un, it received condemnation from the country with threats being issued to the United States. Sony pulled the plug and it seemed unlikely The Interview would ever see the light of day. After wide denunciation, including from President Obama himself, the studio relented and distributed the film online. So, can The Interview live up to all this hype? In short, no.

James Franco is the host of a tabloid chat show. Reports from the secretive North Korea reveal that Kim Jong-un is an avid viewer and Franco convinces producer Seth Rogan to secure an interview with him. With arrangements made, Franco and Rogan are approached by the CIA to assassinate Kim.

There is some clever parody going on, with close attention to detail given to what little is known of Kim and his country. However, the film relies too much on cheap gags milked to tedium while Franco’s performance irritates throughout.

To most, the quality of The Interview will be irrelevant; the unprecedented level of controversy has made this average film a must see one.