Long Shot (2019)

“Long Shot” stars Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, and Alexander Skarsgård.  Released on May 3, 2019, the film is about a journalist who tries to impress his childhood love interest and former babysitter.

The film is directed by Jonathan Levine, who also directed films such as “The Wackness”, “50/50”, “The Night Before”, and “Snatched”.  Love can be pretty complicated sometimes.  It all depends on how you look at it.  When you see an unusual guy hanging out with a hot girl, you would probably think that it’s unlikely for them to become a couple.  However, the film I’ll be talking about today shows that just because it’s not likely to happen, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  Despite not being a huge fan of romance films in general, I was actually looking forward to this ever since I first heard about it.  I mean, how could I say no to Seth Rogen hanging out with Charlize Theron?  Jonathan Levine has a pretty good track record when it comes to directing different types of comedies, although his last project ,“Snatched”, wasn’t exactly his proudest achievement in his career.  So I was hoping that his new film would get him back to his usual roots.  Thankfully, it did just that.

The story is obviously a love story that features a weird boy hanging out with a hot girl who's way out of his league. If you watched the other comedies that deal with this type of scenario, you've practically seen this one. While it didn't add anything fresh or exciting to the film's rom-com tropes, the film was able to make up for it by giving its audience a charming and humorous date movie. Now it does seem like it's going to be another adult-rated raunch fest based on the poster and the synopsis, but trust me, it isn't. There were a few R-rated jokes in there, but not enough for me to classify it as a raunchy comedy. Sometimes, having too much or a bare minimum of R-rated jokes can hurt the film, but Jonathan Levine was able to find the right balance between heart and humor, and the result is a genuine feel-good film that most people can handle without having to hear a dick joke every couple of minutes. The main stars of the attraction were Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, who were absolutely great in their roles, both from a comedic aspect and a romance aspect. Sure, they don't look like a potential perfect couple, but these characters are both likable and amusing enough to make me want them to get together. To me, that's what makes the chemistry between the main stars irresistibly sweet. As for its flaws, the story was pretty predictable and heavy on the rom-com tropes. Also, some of the jokes in the film were either forgettable or forced. There were a few scenes that made me chuckle, but that's about it.

Overall, Jonathan Levine took the “Long Shot” and it paid off quite well.  Once you get past its formulaic plot and some of its forgettable jokes, there’s a good chance that you’ll enjoy the ride as much as I did.  This is a big step up from Levine’s last film due to his direction and the irresistible chemistry between Rogen and Theron.  If you’re in a mood for a feel-good film after experiencing “Avengers: Endgame” for the umpteenth time, this one is worth a watch.

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