Safety Not Guaranteed

"WANTED: Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED. I have only done this once before."

Safety Not Guaranteed

‎1hr 25min‎‎

Comedy‎ with a dash of Sci-Fi

Rated R‎‎ - language and some sexual situations
 

Rating: C+

Director: Colin Trevorrow

Writer: Derek Connolly

Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake M. Johnson, Kristen Bell, Jeff Garlin

Saw this one at the midnight opening night showing. I was alone save two young women.

The deadpan prologue introduces sarcastic, mildly alienated college grad Darius (Aubrey Plaza) with anticipation of her quirky affectations. Mercifully, Connolly's script maintains a fast and funky rhythm as it pushes Darius into a Seattle magazine internship where she is sent out on assignment with perpetually horny, crude, slacker reporter Jeff (Jake Johnson/New Girl) and her nerdy fellow intern, Arnau (Karan Soni). Their mission: Head to scenic Ocean View, Wa., track down whoever placed the aforementioned ad and get the story behind his eccentric request. You will have to watch it to see where it goes from there 'cause I'm not going to tell you. 

The Art Film world (SUNDANCE and the like) seems to have fallen in love with this quirky little comedy. Me...not so much. From the opening scene it promises to be more than it is ever able to deliver. It would have been been far more enjoyable and effective without the standard 'Moviedom' insistence that contemporary crass language must be included in order to evoke honesty in the characters (what's wrong with just writing a better script with some depth that your actors can use their craft to develop a genuine character through their own), and why is it necessary in every film to propegate social engineering that insists that virginity and sexual morals must be belittled and banished as geeky objects of scorn and stupidity in order for the 'superior, enlightened, evolved culture' where each and every sexual tingle should be acted upon in order to preserve the honesty and integrity of who you are. Placing humans on a higher plain than the beasts and their instinctive urges is just so unfair.

The characters are thin and with little believable substance, the government agents are particularly wooden and particularly one dimensional as are the teen/young people that Jeff and Arnau hookup with in a local bar. The film does, however, manage to hold your interest in spite of the acting and script which just are not up to par. It is original in its premise but sadly the execution is somewhat lacking. For me, it's just an average and forgettable movie going experience.

Buy the DVD (click here)

Cast :
Aubrey Plaza...Darius
Mary Lynn Rajskub...Bridget
Jake M. Johnson...Jeff
Karan Soni...Arnau
Jeff Garlin..Mr. Britt
Mark Duplass...Kenneth