Mad Atoms

Of all the movies to come in twos, from the asteroid movies to the modern-day-volcano films, this year's mall cop movies might be the most stupefying. I mean, did we really need two? Is the idea of a mall cop that exciting to a studio executive? Or is there something in cultural zeitgeist right now about mall cops, something about the recession... the retreat from consumerism... I got nothing. 

Surprisingly, this Seth Rogen vehicle doesn't seem to be directed, produced, written, conceived of in any by Judd Apatow. It's a little racier than your average Apatow confection, which usually has some subtle pro-Christian message, like don’t kill fetus-babies or don’t have sex until you’re 40. 

This one’s more of the Bad Santa-genre, where an irresponsible adult drinks, smokes, beats up kids, and showcases all the wrong values, as hilarity ensues. Sadly, this genre is in the process of jumping the shark, as witnessed by HBO’s Eastbound and Down, which, I’m sorry, sucks balls. I’m tempted to cancel my HBO just to register my disgust, but then I’d miss the hilarious hijinks of Vince, E, and all the other boys from that crazy show Entourage.

Somehow, against all odds this trailer manages to pull out the funny. Most of the credit should go to Seth Rogen and his hideous sweater. Give that costume designer an oscar. And I’m a sucker for people getting tased.  

(Rogen, by the by, seems to be losing weight, which is unfortunate. As much as I hate looking at fat people, they tend to be pretty funny. He’s no doubt getting in shape to appear to star in The Green Hornet, which should completely destroy my opinion of both him and Michel Gondry. Either that, or it’ll be the greatest film of all time.) 

I’d been hearing about this Anna Farris chick. She sure is easy on the eyes. And funny. Not as funny as that sweater though. 

It’s usually a good sign for a movie when the trailer has a good soundtrack. This one has a Yardbirds song, the instrumental section of House of the Rising Sun, and a song from some prog rock band I’ve never heard of name “Patto” that works perfectly. Remember, a movie is only as original as the soundtrack of it’s trailer.