This has been the summer of the R rated comedy (see Hangover Part II, Bridesmaids, Bad Teacher, Horrible Bosses, etc.), and I'm happy to report that 30 Minutes or Less sits alongside the upcoming Our Idiot Brother as the best of the lot. Credit director Ruben Fleischer (who made the creative Zombieland) for stepping out of the way and allowing his hilarious cast (lead by Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Nick Swardson, Michael Pena, and Fred Ward) to do their thing. In 30 Minutes Or Less, Jesse Eisenberg plays a pizza delivery boy who's all but forced by a couple of slackers (McBride and Swardson) to rob a bank and hand over the money. If he doesn't do what he's told, then he'll be exterminated by way of an explosive strapped to his body.
30 Minutes Or Less is a righteously funny ride that is as charming as it is irreverent. Eisenberg and Ansari have terrific chemistry as do McBride and Swardson, and at a brisk 88 minutes, this picture never outstays its welcome. Fleischer and screenwriter Micheal Diliberti are clearly fans of action movies and it was immensely entertaining watching these characters engage in activity that was clearly inspired by cinema's biggest action icons (John McClane fans in particular will rejoice). 30 Minutes Or Less is a lot of fun.
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