Director: Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer
Starring: Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack, Imogen Poots, Chris Redd, Edgar Blackmom, James Buckley, Will Arnett, Chelsea Peretti, Bill Hader, Joanna Newsom, Danny Strong, Paul Scheer, Will Forte
Rating: 15
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Release Date: 26/08/16
Andy Samberg plays Connor 4 Real, a dumb, egotistical Bieber replica whose attempts to forge a solo career, after the break up of his band Style Boyz, could be going better.
From The Lonely Island (comprised of Samberg, Schaffer and Taccone) and taking its cue from classic Christopher Guest music mockumentary THIS IS SPINAL TAP, POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPINGÂ takes aim at the glitzy indulgent world of modern pop stardom.
Just don’t expect to be able to catch this at the cinemas as it’s been shamefully absent, particularly in UK cinemas. Which is a shame because there’s a lot to love here and as a modern comedy it gets by without too much crass/gross humour.
A lot of the jokes are silly and clever, like Samberg’s own hit sitcom BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, it revels in absurdity and parody whilst never seeming like it’s trying too hard to please.
Of course, there’s no real substance here. It’s pretty much just a joke machine with great performances and an accompanying, catchy soundtrack full of some deliriously great parody songs. It’s so heightened and ridiculous that the only emotion you’re likely to feel is joy. And that’s ok.
It’s directed and written by the three with only Samberg taking a back seat for the former and there’s nothing new about the way it’s shot. It sticks closely to the mockumentary format and makes the most of its premise as much as it could.
In the end, it’s as funny as it needed to be without really doing anything new or original. It’s not quite as funny as I wanted it to be but it had me grinning for the majority of its running time and the music makes it a bit more memorable.
Verdict
