Zac Efron Gets Naughty In Bad Neighbours

From director Nick Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek), comes a frat comedy that somehow manages to also be a surprisingly clever coming-of-age film. Coming-of-adult-age that is.

Young married couple Mac and Kelly (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrn) are trying to settle into married life with their (extremely cute) baby daughter as they transition from rave-going young people to diaper changing parents. Soon a fraternity house moves in next to their newly-bought home and all hell breaks loose as parties are thrown and the cops are called.

While adding nothing new to the genre of frat-comedies (ala animal house), the movie is well paced and offers a glimpse into the vagaries of adulthood – all set amidst Project X-esque parties and tons of attractive college students.

The cast is well chosen, with comedic moments spread evenly about and visible chemistry present among all the stars. While Rogen is essentially the same character in every movie, he does lend a bear-ish amiability to the movie, preventing it from descending into an all-out testosterone-filled jockfest.

Then, on the other end of the spectrum, is Zac Efron, of course I’ll be talking about Zac Efron, everyone’s going to be talking about Zac Efron. Post-High School Musical, post-rehab and ridiculously good-looking, Efron by far manages to be the star attraction of the show as Teddy, the equally charming and vacuous president of the fraternity house that torments the young couple.

Some of the jokes are schoolchildren-level crude, but the show earns its R21 rating with a few well-meaning (are there other sorts) bawdy jokes and Rogen’s bare, blubbery body in its throes of passion – which could be the subject of another movie in itself really.

Bad Neighbours is out in cinemas now. Rated R21 (duh).

Thanks to MTV Asia and United International Pictures Singapore for hosting us at the movie preview.

Image credits: Point Grey Pictures

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