Movie Review: “Popstar” (R)
“This is Spinal Tap” meets “Zoolander” meets an extended Lonely Island SNL digital short in the silly but often hilarious Andy Samberg-headlined mockumentary, “Popstar.” As dumb as this movie tends to get, it might come as a surprise that “Popstar” also offers up, dare I say it, a surprising amount of intelligence in the way that it mocks nearly every facet of the music industry. Of course, it’s all done out of love, meaning that this movie never feels like an indictment of the industry it’s so outrageously sending up.
In “Popstar,” a documentary crew follows music industry titan Conner4real (Samberg), a one-time member of a trio pop outfit called The Style Boyz who decides to go it solo, much to the dismay of bandmates Owen and Lawrence (played by “Popstar” directors and real-life Samberg pals Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer). For quite a lengthy stretch, it appears that Conner’s decision to go out on his own is a good one as each tune he records enters the top of the charts. Of course, he burns many bridges during the process, and eventually this egotistical musician’s star slowly begins to fade.
If you’re a fan of The Lonely Island crew, I’d be really surprised if this irreverent and fittingly bonkers comedy didn’t make you laugh. It touches on all the tabloid-exposed excess that comes with celebrity, all while skewering not only the music industry but pitch-perfect biopics like last year’s “Straight Outta Compton” as well. There’s all the formulaic biopic scenarios you’d come to expect including the band infighting. But one of the things that makes “Popstar” so gosh darn lovable, despite it’s central character’s occasional obnoxiousness, is knowing that the three comedic stars who make up the fictional The Style Boyz are every bit as close today as they were when they first met during their rambunctious youth. In other words, it’s nice to know that these goofy characters and their onscreen contention doesn’t at all mirror the bromance this trio has in real life. At least, not that any of us are aware of.
Samberg is a riot in this movie. It’s not the kind of performance that’s going to win him an Oscar by any stretch of the imagination, but he’s certainly consistent in terms of the absurdity of it all. Likewise, Taccone and Schaffer are a ton of fun, and you can’t fake the natural chemistry that this trio exudes — fitting because for all this film’s ridiculousness, there’s a story of family, friendship, and remembering where you came from at the heart of the film.
Beyond Samberg, Taccone, and Schaffer, “Popstar” offers up an entertaining roster of supporting players including Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Sarah Silverman, and Joan Cusack. As for the plethora of high-profile music industry cameos that this film unloads, I’ll refrain from spoiling them as they are clearly best left a surprise.
Finally, I can’t get through a “Popstar” review without talking up the gloriously absurd songs. They’re hilarious, to be sure, but so creatively and legitimately constructed that it seems entirely unfair to write them off as mere novelty tunes. If you’re familiar with Lonely Island staples like “Dick in a Box,” “Mother Lover,” and “I’m On a Boat,” then you should be more than pleased with the outrageous (and in many cases, non-PC) gems that make up the majority of the colorful “Popstar” soundtrack. Add to the songs an energetic cast, a free-flowing energy, and several big laughs, including an autograph signing that is as gross and uncomfortable as it is hilarious and a laugh-out-loud stab at tabloid outlet TMZ, and you have a movie that will certainly appeal to a niche audience. It just so happens that I’m one of those particular audience members.
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