Sausage Party (2016)

Review

89min

Genre:      Animation, Comedy

Director:   Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon

Cast:        Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill…and more

Writers:    Kyle Hunter, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg

-Synopsis-

The team of Rogen & Goldberg bring us a comedy animation where food comes alive… literally; an outrageous and distinctly adult look at what our food gets up to when we’re not aware and what happens when they realise what we do to them, in this culinary fable featuring an impressive cast of US comedy voice talent.

‘Sausage Party’ tells the tale of “Frank” the sausage, voiced by Seth Rogen, and his fellow talking supermarket products who live an idyllic existence waiting for the “giant gods” to pick them for the paradise of the “Great Beyond” past the sliding doors. But the savage truth of their destiny is soon revealed, sending “Frank” and friends on a great post closing-time adventure of discovery and survival across the great aisles of their supermarket.

Having worked on getting their dream project of an “R-rated” animation up and running for years, writers and frequent collaborators Rogen and Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express) turned to two directors to make it a reality; experienced American actor/director Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2) and Irish animator/director Greg Tiernan of ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’ fame.

Clearly both have brought together the cute, big-eyed aesthetic from their previous work; which makes the impact of the filth that comes out of our groceries’ mouths even more outrageous, as the comic sensibilities of Rogen & Goldberg take over in what is arguably the most inappropriate big-screen animation since ‘South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut’… this really ain’t one for the kids folks.

Whether you’re a fan or not of the Seth Rogen brand of comedy, you should know what to expect by now; graphic language, sexual innuendo, general lewd and outrageous behaviour, and plenty of it, all blended into the “secret life of” formula that Pixar and others have applied to Toys, Monsters, Pets etc., but focused here on America’s favourite groceries.

Just minutes and many a f**k & s**t into the film, ‘Sausage Party’ starts  to feel like an incredibly infantile single joke which will somehow be stretched over the next 90 minutes; but fear not and stick with it, the novelty and humour of swearing food soon wears off and you’re left with the meat & potatoes of the movie… pardon the pun.

At heart ‘Sausage Party’ is a brash and ballsy Fable, albeit crass an unsubtle one, which takes aim at religion and blind belief, while championing unity by breaking the shackles of societies’ norms. You won’t see many movies in today’s climate with the nerve to take on taboos, let alone an animation, giving the film an extra dimension which elevates it above most of the comedies out this summer.

The stars of the show are the vast array of anthropomorphized supermarket products which hilariously reflect modern American society, with Rogen & co. revelling in the opportunity to feast on ethnic & social stereotypes; from Selma Hayek as a sexy lesbian Taco to a Hitleresque Sauerkraut, not to mention Lavash and Bagel, two neighbouring aisle breads with similar backgrounds but who hate each other and don’t quite know why.

No doubt ‘Sausage Party’ is neither a classic comedy nor animation; it’s not as layered or sophisticated as the work coming out of Disney & Pixar, and it ain’t exactly timeless comedy, even of the irreverent and outrageous variety, you can see Trey Parker & Matt Stone about that. If you’re easily offended or looking for clever satire then look elsewhere, and generally this is a film with enough ingredients to put many off.

But we for one welcome what Rogen and Goldberg have put together here, as a welcome alternative to the slew of comedies so far this year which have ranged from average to awful, and worst of all, lacking in consistent laughs.

Yes this is juvenile, crass and self-indulgent comedy, designed to outrage; but it’s consistently funny despite quickly wearing out the effects of all the swearing, just wait for the outlandish final scene, and the nerve to go for both the high and low hanging social commentary fruit makes this one of the best straight comedies of the year so far.

The Bottom Line…

A spicy stew made of sex, religion, ethnicity and adorable animation, tempered with Rogen and Goldberg comedic sensibility;  ‘Sausage Party’ is filthy irreverent comedy with a bold socially conscious edge, a modern Fable with plenty of dick jokes and ethnic stereotyping for you to be shocked, offended or delighted by… you choose.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

The Lego Movie (2014)

An everyday inept construction worker is thrown into an epic adventure across the lands of Lego after being confused for the “Special” chosen one, who is prophesied to stop an evil tyrant from enslaving the Lego universe and repressing free creative will, in this smash-hit comedy animation with real-world parallels and a moral message.

Directed by Phil Lord & Christopher Miller and starring Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell and Elizabeth Banks among others.

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