Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping – A Review

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping

Rated: R
Runtime: Approx. 86 Minutes
Directed By: Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone
Starring: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone and everyone in the world

Sitting down in a semi-packed auditorium with America’s Bad Boy and his girlfriend, I had no idea what to expect from Popstar. My familiarity with The Lonely Island, the comedy group/band behind this project, encompasses a number of comedy videos from SNL as well as a small sampling of their music. All that I’ve heard, I have  enjoyed. Samberg is someone that I’ve always kind of had a love/hate relationship with. He is very funny, but he frustrated me on SNL, much like alum Jimmy Fallon, because he couldn’t keep his stuff together during sketches. Yet, I love Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The first couple of seasons featured some of the best comedy on network TV. I mention this to tell you of the baggage and expectations that I brought in to Popstar: I had seen a quick snippet of a trailer and a few of the posters and I knew it was from the creative mind of The Lonely Island.

The first thing that caught me with this is that it is a mockumentary. By the time you’ve read this review, you will probably have already heard that Popstar may come off as Spinal Tap 2.0 – and the connections  are obviously there. Popstar tells the story of Conner4Real (Samberg) a former member of a hip hop/pop trio similar to at best The Beastie Boys and at worst, N*Sync – this group was known as the Style Boys and was rounded out by Lawrence (Schaffer) and Owen (Taccone). Popstar picks up following the split of the group and the global success of Conner4Real’s first album as he prepares to release his sophomore solo project. The Style Boys are no more and there is much tension between Lawrence and Conner. Will his newest album and tour be a success? Only time will tell.

Much like the response  to this film. I predict now, without delving into anything critical, that this will become a cult comedy classic. It’s not for everyone. It will find a niche audience and it will find a lifetime home. It’s smart, quotable, stupid, satirical, and at times truly genius. As I write this, I’m listening to one of the single’s from the film “Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song)”. If you can stomach the graphic lyrics, you’ll know what kind of movie you’re in for. And, hey, we might as well start there. The Lonely Island is an extremely talented band that found much success in presenting well written yet stupid lyrics – a tough challenge. They coupled this with a ridiculous list of guests; Jack Black, Natalie Portman, Norah Jones, Justin Timberlake, Michael Bolton, Adam Levine, and so on. And it is that same ignorant brilliance and cast of cameos that makes Popstar a blast. “Finest Girl” and “I’m So Humble” are stand out tracks that are catchy and so over-the-top that you won’t be able to stop singing them.

Samberg is just 110% going for it here and he is fearless. He cranks up the ego and idiot tendencies that he has perfected as Detective Jake Peralta on Brooklyn Nine-Nine while removing all of Jake’s charm. He really is the focus here. Schaffer and Taccone play the jaded, tossed-out-like garbage friends with just the right amount of heart and hope to get the audience on their side. Tim Meadows, an oft-underutilized comedy maestro, is on from the beginning of the film to the end. Much of the rest of the supporting cast, including Sarah Silverman, Imogen Poots, and Chris Redd in a show-stealing performance as Hunter the Hungry, have minimal roles. Outside of the core trio, the majority of the cast  is filled with cameo upon cameo – and each one works almost perfectly. I won’t mention them so as to not ruin the surprise, but there are some great ones.

From a narrative standpoint, I’d have to say that the film is thin. If it weren’t for the jokes coming at you at an unrelentless rate, the shortcomings of the plot would shine much stronger. It’s very basic. Conner is arrogant, Conner gets humbled, happy ending – similar to every buddy comedy you’ve seen. But the journey from a-to-z is filled with nonstop gags; physical comedy, double entendre, body humor, satire, parody, etc. And for the most part, the jokes land. This is a film that gains rewatch value because there is so much going on you’re bound to find something new and has some great lines that you’ll be quoting with your friends.

The narrative and stylistic choice to go with a mockumentary that lampoons several recent pop documentaries featuring the likes of Katy Perry and Justin Beiber is very smart. It allows for the gang to make a strong commentary about consumerism and capitalism in the pop music industry; the facade of romantic relationships; and, the power of social media. Taking this approach is also akin to putting a fresh coat of paint on an old house. It helps cover up many of the similar tropes we’ve seen before. An approach that the self-aware Deadpool tried earlier this year. It’s not a style that is used often; however, with the addition of Popstar two of the best comedies of the past couple of years have been in the mockumentary family. Of course, I’m referring to last year’s marvel, What We Do in the Shadows. 

Overall, Popstar is a nonstop, gag-a-minute comedy that hits more than it misses. It knows exactly what it is and what it’s doing and how to play within those lines. The thin, predictable plot doesn’t do much to drive the film but it is adequately covered up with surprise cameos, borderline offensive comedy, and a surprising emotional core delivered by a gang who is never stopping never stopping and who have presented a film that should become a cult classic in the coming years.