Popstar
In this mockumentary, Andy Samberg stars as Conner4Real – a
massive, Justin Bieber-like pop star followed by a film crew
documenting the release of his 2nd album and the accompanying tour to
promote it.
Along the way we get to see Conner’s rise to fame with his long
time group The Style Boyz, how his solo success tore them apart and how
it all went to his head, which contributes to this impending disaster.
Samberg and fellow writers/co-stars Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer
provide one of the best parodies of the music business, stardom and
more, when Popstar is focused.
Sadly, they kind of run out of jokes as the movie stumbles toward the
end.
The earliest portions of Popstar benefit from some extremely
creative writing delivering outrageous situations, hilarious dialogue
and some of the funniest offensive songs you have ever heard. The trio
does a great job finding humor in the dimwittedness of everyone, while
also finding some moments to take a poke at entertainment news, what
stars will do for attention and everything you can imagine about social
media.
Also, Popstar benefits from a boatload of cameos from Usher to
Ringo Starr to every funny Saturday Night Live star of the last
10-years (and Jimmy Fallon). Some of the fun is just seeing who will
show up next.
However, the movie runs out of steam. Samberg, Taccone and Schaffer get
away from the parody aspects to make Popstar more about personal
redemption and the schmaltzy ending focusing on whether or not the long
time members of The Style Boyz will find friendship again.
In this way, the crew shows they feel daring is more about using
naughty language instead of taking us in an unanticipated direction.
Popstar
is rated R for some graphic nudity,
language throughout, sexual content and drug use.
86 Minutes
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