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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

The Neighbors
Starring: Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, and Ike Barinholz
Synopsis: Heading into this summer season, it seemed like comedies would rule the day. Just two weeks in, that seems to have born out. “The Amazing Spiderman 2” won its opening weekend but fell off last week as audiences flocked to see the Seth Rogen-Zac Efron comedy. There comes a point in life when you have to let go of your youth and embrace adulthood. It happens at different times for different people, but one day you wake up and realize your life has changed. That’s the idea at the heart of “The Neighbors.” It’s a funny, charming comedy that has a lot going on. While the central couple is wrestling with their changing reality, they also face the very real threat of a fraternity that moved in next door. Nicholas Stoller, who also directed “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek” and “The Five Year Engagement,” has a great sense of pace and scope with this film. It builds slowly, maximizing the humor and the talents of the cast and crew. Efron and Franco are great as the frat brothers. For Franco it’s even a chance to play a slightly different twist on familiar characters, as he gets to be a voice of reason at times during the film. Efron, meanwhile, throws himself into the role, which helps make it even funnier. Byrne and Rogen are great as the central couple, too. Both of them get to engage in some wild and crazy scenes, while still taking the audience along with their characters on a journey of self discovery. In the process of battling the fraternity next door they come to realize the quiet suburban life that initially bored them is exactly what they have been looking for all along. Byrne and Rogen have great chemistry in this film, too. They work well as a believable couple, and they accentuate each other’s strengths. This is a movie that works as well in the subtle beats of character development as in the wild and outlandish sequences. And, there are plenty of those as well. Summer is a season that’s usually known for big budget, high-octane action films and over-the-top comedies. If “The Neighbors” is any indication, it could be a big summer season for at least one of those type of films.
Rating: R for pervasive language, strong crude and sexual content, graphic nudity, and drug use throughout. Enter with caution.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, May 16 — "Godzilla," "Million Dollar Arm"

Friday, May 23 — "Blended," "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Friday, May 30 — "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Malificent"