30 Minutes or Less : Movie Review


Jesse Eisenberg's character is most certainly a loser. In his early to mid twenties he is still working as a pizza delivery boy and whilst driving recklessly to deliver pizzas in 30 minutes or less might be exciting it's also pretty dangerous and actually doesn't work. He doesn't deliver any pizzas on time.

His best friend, Chet, is slightly less loser-ish having just advanced from substitute teacher to full time teacher. Nick has a thing for his sister and as with any close friends this still seems to be a problem for the two guys to come to terms with.

So our two heroes are fairly plausible and whilst a bit pathetic, still likable. Enter then our two villains (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson)… repulsive, lazy, criminally-minded, stupid, sexually deviant and extremely crude, yet they are still supposed to make us laugh.... you can't make characters this retarded and repellent and them still expect an audience to laugh along carelessly.

It's only the inherent likeability of Eisenberg and to a slightly lesser extent his cohort Aziz Ansari that makes this film even vaguely watchable – take them away and you have a couple of creepy guys in masks trying to steal money to start up a prostitution racket. Who don’t even need the money as they are already living an easy life off the back of their father. They’re not brothers… but they might as well be, for all intents and purposes.

So the two creepy guys force the two loser guys to rob a bank by strapping a bomb to one of them. The bank robbery goes surprisingly well with only minor problems. But can Nick give the money to the crooks and will the torment be over and will get his life back? If only it were so simple!

The direction is solid and the acting is decent but the storyline is so hackneyed and old that you may feel as though you’ve seen this many times before.

Only the likeability of Eisenberg keeps this film going. At just 83 minutes what was the intent? To keep it short and sweet? Don't audiences deserve more? Or was the plot just so paper-thin that it was stretched beyond credibility already? This film is the cinematic equivalent of a cheese and tomato pizza - its OK... but it could use some more flavour. It Might be okay for a lads night with a load of beers (and a two drink minimum) but more discerning viewers might want to look elsewhere for something slightly more nourishing. Let’s hope that Eisenberg does the same when considering his next role as it’s a shame to see his talent under used.

Fortunately 30 Minutes or Less moves along at a decent pace and at just 83 minutes doesn't feel like anything more than a fast food film.

Author : Kevin Stanley