*MAJOR SPOILERS*
Seriously, what the hell did I just watch. Not only does this film deserve its R rating, it also flaunts it.
Sausage Party is a 2016 animated/comedy film directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, and stars an ensemble voice cast that includes Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek. The film follows a sausage who leads a group of supermarket products on a quest to discover the truth about their existence and what really happens when they become chosen to leave the grocery store. It is also the first CGI-animated film to be rated R by the MPAA.
So Sausage Party was an interesting film to review. To be honest, it was my first choice since it was a short film, but damn was this the craziest 89 minutes of my life. The film does a good job at many things, but it ultimately is pretty mediocre in the end. I wasn’t really impressed with the voice acting, but Michael Cera’s character Barry was probably one of my favorites in the film. He actually had a story arc that felt like he had a beginning, climax, and and end. Ultimately, he was the most fleshed out character out of the entire cast. Other than that, most the characters had little purpose, and most felt thrown in there just to put their name on the poster. Its not a bad thing, it just doesn’t add anything, in my opinion. The animation was good from what I could tell, and it honestly looked like something that would come out of Pixar.
The story in this film almost felt like it wasn’t a first priority, as there were some very minor pacing issues in the film. Like I said before, it’s not bad, its just not great. The one thing I felt this movie failed greatly in was its villain (if you can even call him that). Nick Kroll, who played Douche (yes, that’s correct) just had no purpose in this film. His reasons for revenge are childish, and ultimately have no meaning. If this film never mentioned his character after he fell off the cart, there honestly wouldn’t have been any loss in the progression of the storyline. It’s pointless to have both him and humans be the villains, as we don’t see him as a treat. Sure he kills like two people (I think), but other than that there isn’t much to him. Better left out in my opinion.
Not only does this film have its humor in crude language, but also in its references. This film throws a lot of big picture issues like, racism, segregation, religion, and more. Although most might take it offensively, I think it is just brilliant writing. In a sense it was kind of like Zootopia, yet it wasn’t made to inspire people, but to offend them. You just have to laugh at it, honestly. They don’t just offend a certain group of people.. No, they go after everyone. I would also like to add that the scenes where we see humans and food interact were definitely hilarious, and probably one of the best parts in this film. I felt these interactions ultimately kept the film from falling short, and was another good example of great screen writing.
So lets get on with the really important stuff.. The rating. Yes, this movie is a solid R, and to be honest, I’m surprised it’s not NC-17 rated. From the first word to the last, there is cursing out the wazoo. Yes, food dropping the f-bomb is funny, but it quickly gets old. Seriously, this film comes in a solid second for worst language, right under The Wolf of Wall Street. But what really gives this movie its R rating is that end.. oh that end.. So as much as I would rather not spoil it for you, I will (I warned you up top). This film knows how to make me want to never eat a bagel ever again, as this film turns into a massive porno by the end of act three. Seriously, everything is having sex with everything, and it almost gets to the point where it is uncomfortable to watch. No joke, if you closed your eyes during that scene, you would honestly think you were watching an orgy and not a movie inside of a movie theater. Sure it’s funny, but it definitely oversteps it comfort level for most people, even me.
So Sausage Party was probably one of the funnier movies I have seen this year, yet its mediocre storyline, and villain kept me from truly enjoying it. It is definitely a rated R film, and if you’re not into sex, drugs, and cursing, than this is not your type of movie. So in the end I decided to give Sausage Party and “Alright” on theVade Review Bar. Although it gave me a good laugh at times, it was nothing more than just a limp wiener.
