[Movie Review] Sausage Party (2016)

Posted on August 15, 2016 by thegrandshuckett in Movie Reviews // 0 Comments

Directors: Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon

Writers: Kyle Hunter (screenplay), Ariel Shaffir (screenplay), Seth Rogen (screenplay), Evan Goldberg (screenplay)

Runtime: 1 hr 29 min

Main Cast:

Seth Rogen as Frank / Sergeant Pepper (voice)
Kristen Wiig as Brenda (voice)
Jonah Hill as Carl (voice)
Michael Cera as Barry (voice)
James Franco as Druggie (voice)
Bill Hader as Firewater/Tequila/El Guaco (voice)
Salma Hayek as Teresa (voice)

Review: by Erika

Sausage Party…It’s a lot. Food items in a grocery store are eager to go home with customers, believing that they’re in for a better life. But soon, their world comes crashing down and they learn the truth about their fate once they’re purchased. So this group devises an escape plan to avoid meeting their end at the hands of humans.

After seeing the trailer for this earlier this year I was eager to see this one. I love animated films and I love R-rated comedies. So the trailer for this ticked off all the right boxes for me in different way. Usually the films from this set of usual suspects (Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Michael Sera, etc) are crude but still very funny. Of all the films I see in a year, theirs usually stand out and this was no exception.

As the title of this review say…it’s a lot. Yes, there are laughs; yes there’s plenty of shocking moments. And it’s all thanks to anthropomorphizing FOOD of all things. This is one of those rare times when I can’t say if it’s good or bad. I must admit that at the very least, it’s clever. And it’s absolutely crazy.

When you’re Seth Rogen and you’re known for being a comedic actor, the shtick can become stale. So I do give him and his team credit for an idea that’s fresh. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is for the easily offended…or even the not-so-easily offended. It’s uncomfortable and it’s fearless. Even if you’re familiar with their other films, this pushes limits even further. I’ve never sat in a press section where I could hear their reactions to what happens on screen to this extent. They are often more subdued than the general public, but for this one they reacted exactly the same.

I can guarantee that anyone who sees this is in for a movie-going experience that they’ve never had before. It truly earns its R-rating which seems like more of a challenge when you’re a CGI animated film. I’ve watched anime for years and anyone familiar with it knows how versatile it is from shows and movies that are G-rated to R-rated, and even X-rated (which is called “hentai” if you didn’t know).

I’m waiting for reports from parents who innocently took their kid to see this. And if you work at the ticket counter do you give a potential paying customer that extra bit of forewarning? Or do you see how it all plays out? And if they don’t take their kids to see it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s on television and they turn to it by accident.

I don’t really feel like I can give this one stars. I’m more inclined to give it question marks because all I can say is “What did I just watch??” What’s clear to me is that the creators wanted a special movie, and they succeed. So I’ll give it 4 question marks out of 5.

Rating: ????