Mac (Seth Rogan) and Kelly (Rose Byrne) are perfectly happy suburbanites that recently started a family with their newborn daughter, Stella. Following the classic formula of the man working while the wife stays home but then a fraternity moves in right next door to this happy couple. Yeah, of course this can only happen in the movies. Not all comedies have to be shot like a documentary.
They meet the fraternity president, Teddy (Zac Efron) that looks like he's ready for a GQ spread than running a fraternity but Efron is gamed as ever to manipulate his way to...his picture on the fraternity wall from promising to keep the noise down to blaming Mac and Kelly for calling the police on him. It's amazing what his baby blues and smile can do to someone in this movie, oh brother. However, it's when our suburbanites want to take back the street is when the movie hits it's stride. Including when Mac and Kelly force Teddy to turn on his best friend Pete (Dave Franco) by forcing an unforgivable sexual act that will make you want to applaud Kelly for the idea and Mac that battles in a hysterical "dance-off". It helps that Rogan and Efron are good antagonists and make a Batman debate well worth the watch.
However, when they overload on the raunch is when the movie made my satisfying smile disappear for a while when I had to watch a breast pump go terribly wrong (this is now the 3rd breast pump joke I have seen this year, seriously it's not funny), a joke that involves a massive erection that is overplayed and overused and hazing that is just disturbing to witness and when they get the supporting cast in on it. That takes away from the simplicity of the premise. I was loving it when they using visual gags to show how to seek revenge on each other especially when they use an airbag to great effect.
Rogan and Evan Goldberg's screenplay suffers the same fate as This is the End where they just show the humor well is drying up, but save it by throwing some realism about growing up. how there is more than just being a fraternity plus an hysterical ending that saw my smile return and wiping away some tears for all the laughing. Stoller makes good use of the handheld camera, pratfalls and nailing the comic timing between the leads.
Verdict: B
Neighbors has a lot of big laughs and a cast that is ready for anything but a raunchy script that at times misses the mark almost sinks it. However, it's the visual gags and an great ending that makes you fork out some bucks. Don't think too much about it because you'll have a good time.