Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 47% (Critics) / 64% (Audience)
Directed By: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Written By: Dan Sterling, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
Starring: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Randall Park and Lizzy Caplan
Studio: Sony Pictures
Synopsis: Dave Skylark and producer Aaron Rapoport run the celebrity tabloid show “Skylark Tonight.” When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission. – (Source)

The Good:
James Franco seriously dove into his role of vapid gossip TV interviewer Dave Skylark with gusto. He was a bright spot in an otherwise hum-drum affair solely for the amount of off the wall energy he displayed. He completely swallowed everyone he was in a scene with whole.

The Bad:
Aside from Franco’s performance and some of his scenes with Randall Park’s Kim Jong-Un, this movie was sorely lacking in the funny department. Joke after joke just fell flat and Seth Rogan gave what was a shockingly unfunny performance.
Also Lizzy Kaplan was misused in every way possible.

The Ugly:
The fact that all the nonsense surrounding this movie’s release is going to make it more successful than it has any right to be is kind of annoying. It is too bad that a much funnier movie like TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE didn’t get the benefit of North Korea’s ire especially since it eviscerated the previous Supreme Leader in much grander fashion.

Final Verdict: Seen in a vacuum, THE INTERVIEW is just another mildly humorous, gross-out, guy’s comedy that everyone but James Franco seemed bored to be involved in. Taken in the context of all of the hubbub with leaked E-mails, terrorist threats and North Korean hackers…well it all comes across as much ado about nothing because this film would have come and gone with barely a notice sans the controversy.

Grade: C-