30 Minutes or Less is the story of hapless pizza delivery guy Nick, played by Jesse Eisenberg. Nick has a problem. He is stuck in that place between a teenager and a man, his best friend and his coworkers hate him, and his job is lousy. On one fateful pizza delivery, Nick is kidnapped and a bomb is strapped to his chest by the would-be criminals Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis (Nick Swardson).
Dwayne hates his overbearing Marine father (Fred Ward) and wants to kill him so he gets the rest of the 10 Million in lottery money his Dad has won. It seems that dear ol’ Dad is burning through the cash so that he won’t have anything to leave his do-nothing dreamer son after he kicks the bucket. Dwayne and Travis (who is some sort of pyrotechnic genius) hatch a plot to get someone to rob a bank for them so that Dwayne can pay a hitman to kill his Father. Enter the pizza man and the bomb.
Still with me? I’ll leave it at that as I don’t need to spoil any more of the plot for you. On to the usual thoughts by me!
OVERALL: Thanks to the inclusion of Danny McBride and the overall action/comedy feel, this feels a lot like Pineapple Express with fewer pot references, but directed by the same guy that did Zombieland.
ACTING: This is a solid comedy cast. Jesse Eisenberg puts in a decent – if forgettable – performance. He is a well liked “everyman” in this. Aziz Ansari is quite funny as Nick’s neurotic best friend Chet. Danny McBride plays Dwayne like every character Danny McBride ever plays. Nick Swardson was a stand out for me and I enjoyed his conflicted portrayal of Travis.
FAMILY FACTOR: Strong language and comic violence abound in this flick. There is also a scene in a strip club. It is rated “R” for a reason. Even if it’s funny.
SEE IN THE THEATER: If you like Danny McBride, or if you want to see the action on the big screen. There are some fun action sequences that were enjoyable with the sound thumping and the picture large.
30 Minutes or Less hits theaters August 12, 2011.
I suppose you have a better thought on the subject?