Let’s talk about the new comedy “Sausage Party” and how Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg came up with this schemishly brilliant concept of anthropomorphizing our food.
That’s correct, food, of all shapes, are alive. They walk, talk, have small little feet and arms. We’ve all done it or thought about it, our food being alive. Which sucks, because we eat our food. A plot device that is put on displayed in this heavily R rated raunch fest that borders complete insanity with gut-busting hilarity. What’s even better? It’s all done in the vein of one of the harder patriarchs that R rated comedies have failed to crack: animation. Computer 2D animation that looks crisp, clear and has never been more defaced in the public eye. Forget everything you thought about Pixar films, “Sausage Party” will forever be embedded in your mind, which is not exactly a bad thing, but it isn’t good either.
Depending on your tolerance of low-grade stoner comedy, or the fact this film is complete off the wall stupidity (but, hey, it’s fun stupidity!) - you must know this movie is NOT for children, and I pray for the unfortunate mother who accidently takes her toddler to see, what she thought was, a cute little film about talking food coming to life.
What a horrible mistake that will be.
Within the first ten minutes, Rogen and his compatriots immediately set the scene inside a fictional grocery store called “Shopwells” (there is also a cute little dance number in the beginning that was orchestrated by Alan Menken, who, scored the beloved Disney classics “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast” - yes, you read that correctly). In this “fourth dimension” as the characters call it, they are taken to what they believe is to be “The Great Beyond” when, once there, all their sorrows and anguish will despair. Which is what Frank (a sausage voiced by Seth Rogen) needs to happen in order to accomplish his civic duty, and “get up in” Brenda (a hot-dog bun voiced by Kristen Wiig). The whole idea is that the food gets “chosen” by the gods (that being humans) and taken away to a life of luxury.
Except they don’t know that once they go out those sliding doors. They die. Very painfully.
In a mishap with Honey Mustard (voiced by Danny McBride) that results in him being returned to the store, he blabs about how everything outside of the store is a myth (they get eaten). Honey Mustard commits suicide (splatting on the floor) and a whirlwind collision of grocery carts collide forcing Frank and Brenda to become separated from their respective packages. Their only hope now is to inform the store of the horrors which lie with the so-called “gods”. Of course, Frank gets all this info from a group of non-perishable weed smoking junkies, like a soft-spoken Cherokee-inspired bottle of liquor (Bill Hader who scored big laughs) Mr Gritz (Craig Robinson) and Twink (Scott Underwood).
It’s making me chuckle just writing about all these characters.
Yet, that’s the humor trying to be invoked here, and most of the jokes stick. Michael Cera plays a misshapen hot-dog named Barry, who must forgo the wonders of the outside world in order to get back to Frank, Then we have, Teresa (Salma Hayek) who is, not ironically, a lesbian taco. A sandwich wrap named Lavish (David Krumholtz) and Sammy Bagel Jr (Edward Norton sporting a full Woody Allen impersonation that is perfect). All these characters are definitive, funny, and serve a higher purpose in the film's overall message. Which is, to my surprise, deep on a metaphorical level, but not much else (that’s where the film loses its mojo - so don’t look too closely). Also, Nick Kroll plays a douche. Not joking. It’s hilarious.
For the first twenty minutes, “Sausage Party” instantly sets up what you're in for, a slew of four letter poetry comes flying out of these characters mouths, that could make any animated film blush. Still, I have to hand it to Rogen and his team of writers, for doing the impossible, which is selling this film to a studio, and throwing an original comedy in the dog days of summer. Not an easy feature, and one that thankfully succeeds on it’s own merits.
However, be forewarned, the final ten minutes will be some of the most shocking piece of cinema you might see all year (in fact, portions of this particular “scene” - which is the basic equivalent of food porn - were cut in order to ensure an R rating). But you know, if you're going to make a hard R rated animated film about food talking by Seth Rogen, I expect all the punches too be pulled. Granted, that final ten minutes may push you over the boundary of whether or not you enjoy the film.
I laughed my ass off.
I feel as though I’ve given enough warnings. Bottom line: is “Sausage Party” funny? My god it’s absolutely nuts, and I laughed harder at this film than any other comedy all summer. B+
