30 Minutes or Less

More of an excuse to practice shooting comedy and action scenes than a thoughtfully constructed film, 30 Minutes Or Less works only as well as the parts propelling it forward; which is to say, intermittently. Jesse Eisenburg (Zombieland) stars as Nick, a twenty-something slacker, squealing tires daily in a pizza delivery job with a coverage area too vast to ensure the titular promise. His life is given a shake on the shitty side when a shady delivery results in two semi-psychotic man-children strapping a bomb to his chest and giving him forty eight hours to come up with a hundred grand. Nick decides his only option is to rob a bank and seeks the help of his best buddy Chet (Aziz Ansari, Parks and Recreation). Even with their bro bonds recently strained by the revelation of Nick's past boning of Chet's twin sister, he agrees to help, suggesting Point Break as a how-to guide to bank robbing. Funhouse mirroring their relationship is the seedy immaturity and latent homoeroticism of bomb happy criminals Dwayne and Travis' partnership. As portrayed by Danny McBride, Dwayne is yet another variation on the insecure overcompensating assholes he plays in most films, this time with pronounced daddy issues. If you're a fan of McBride's always winking awkward delivery and penchant for filth, you'll get some laughs as he plumbs the depths of his dirty mind to come up with some of the most crass and deplorable lines uttered on screen by a character not completely repugnant. Nick Swardson (Reno 911!) makes a suitable comrade in juvenile ridiculousness for McBride as Travis. He's the more rationale of the two but being a sycophantic lapdog to Dwayne renders his moments of reason moot. Tossing more spice into a dish already over-seasoned and under-planned, Michael Pena (Observe and Report, Crash) shows up as a quirky assassin named Chango. It's a funny performance, but does nothing to focus the plot. So if you enjoy dirty comedians doing their thing between well-staged car chases, you'll likely also enjoy the special features of 30 Minutes Or Less. "Blowing Up with the Cast & Crew" contains lots of behind the scenes footage and talk of the performers creating the personalities of their characters. "The Perfect Crime: Action and Comedy" is a continuation of the production features, with Danny McBride in perpetual deadpan mode and Ansari consistently bringing the funny in further cast interviews, and a good look at how some of the car stunts were shot. An alternate ending in the deleted scenes gives some resolution to the relationship between Dwayne and his father (Fred Ward) along with an obligatory posh victory vacation scene for the newly rich protagonists, thankfully not used in the final cut. "Outtakes" are mostly straight-faced alternate takes on jokes, with Ansari developing some insane tangents. Best of all in a film built around personality based comedians; a picture in picture commentary with director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland), Eisenberg, Ansari, Swardson, and McBride. From McBride pointing out his pokies to production stories of how a local bar was converted into strip club for the shoot and kept the new format after the filming wrapped, the jovial group of comfortable improvisers discuss and practice their craft, making the commentary nearly as entertaining as the movie itself; which is to say, moderately.