Part Men in Black, a bit Paul Blart: Mall Cop and a lot of The Hangover, The Watch is the story of four suburban guys who form a neighborhood watch. Evan (Ben Stiller) questions what’s out there, what’s beyond, what’s beyond the beyond, all from the safety of his suburban porch. He’s tha guy in the
running club, he’s that guy who tutors the elderly (in Spanish), he’s that guy who’s Deputy Secretary of the Town. He’s that guy who waited his entire life to manage Costco. But when his immigrant employee, Antonio, is killed, he’s the guy who becomes the lead of the Neighborhood watch. Enter Bob
and Franklin (now skinny Vince Vaughn and skinny Jonah Hill) as part of the team. But just when they think their group is complete, the doorbell rings and its Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade) perfectly named because his character Jamarcus is part Jamal (Indian) and part Marcus (African-American.) He might
be the wild card of the lot, but these men all have one agenda. Save the world from aliens.
The film works mainly because it could be anybody’s neighborhood, and child’s dad, any woman’s husband, so the subplots of their behind-the-alien-scenes humanize the story beyond just a foursome of rude guys on the road. The Watch is one of those films where the trailer just doesn’t do it justice. The lines are hilarious, the writing brilliant and sharp, proving it’s the words that make for great comedy, though the performances are good too, and in the end, you have the best summer fun film of the year. Four Tiaras