A former boy band member gone solo tries to maintain
his celebrity status as his solo efforts fail miserably. COMEDY
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Popstar: Never Stop
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Popstar is this generation's Spinal Tap, complete with genre send-ups and decent, catchy music. For longtime fans of Saturday Night Live, this is the Lonely Island movie we've been waiting for long before MacGruber. It features the musical talents of all three members of the group, as well as guest vocals from Justin Timberlake, Pink, Usher, Adam Levine, and a bunch more pop icons. While I never really considered myself a big pop music fan, I gotta say this movie is appealing to everyone, not just fans. Plus, it's got Andy Samberg's funniest character yet, the lovable douche solo artist Conner4Real.
While the movie is really funny, the jokes are well-written, and the performances are hysterical, the best parts are the interviews from real-life celebrities like Ringo Starr, Nas, Simon Cowell, and others. It helps cement the film's status as a genuine mockumentary and helps sell the film's ridiculous premise without coming across as insincere. It's Samberg's performance that makes the film as good as it is. Despite Conner's stupidity and arrogance, there's just something you like about him. You don't know what it is, but you know it's there. No matter what genre you're writing, that's a trait that every unlikable protagonist should have. I've no doubt that Popstar will one day be considered a comedy classic. It's SNL's best unofficial movie, featuring one of their most entertaining recurring sketches. It celebrates the modern pop scene as much as it sends it up, spoofing the behind the scenes drama more than the music itself, which is surprisingly good. I enjoyed it and I hope Samberg gets to have a decent film career from it. |