Written by Logan J. Fowler and Justin Matchick
Release Date: August 12, 2016
Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig, Salma Hayek, Craig Robinson, Jonah Hill, Edward Norton, Danny McBride, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, Nick Kroll
Director(s): Greg Tiernan (Thomas and Friends), Conrad Vernon (Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens)
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: After the comedic violence showcased in Pineapple Express and This is the End, Seth Rogen, James Franco, and their buddies have decided to go fully animated in a movie that takes cues from Toy Story, Wreck-It Ralph, and The Secret Life of Pets by explaining how an an “element” acts when humans aren’t around. However, in this case, its food, which means things won’t end well for the main characters. Can this movie capitalize on Rogen’s fan base and be a delicious slice of hilarious entertainment? -LJF
Pre-Trailer Thoughts: I’m always up for something that pushes the boundaries of the typical expectations of an animated film. Over the years movies like South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Persepolis, Heavy Metal, and the works of Ralph Bakshi have gained both cult and mainstream attention as they proved again and again that animation could be used to tell more mature stories. However, this is still a film produced and written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Over the past few years I’ve grown tired of each one of their new films, and unless something is drastically different I don’t see getting too excited for another one. – JTM
Rate the Trailer: 2 out of 5. The concept of Sausage Party is pretty much a disaster film with food at the forefront, with a strong voice cast to back up all the action and dialogue. The animation isn’t anything to write home about, but I think they didn’t want to match the visuals of Pixar on purpose. Hopefully there is more substance beyond the trailer, because while the actors involved can elevate any material, hiding behind the animation may not service the idea well. -LJF
Rate the Trailer: 2 out of 5. The idea of anthropomorphic food akin to the anthropomorphic toys of Toy Story is a clever idea, but in attempting to mimic the art and style of Pixar and Dreamworks movies, they’ve wound up making something that looks more like a cheap knockoff than a parody. Rogen and Goldberg’s raunchy and profane script about animated foodstuffs seems like something that might be funny for a short film, but I don’t think this is an idea that can sustain for a full 90-minutes. Shock humor can be great if done right and in smaller doses, but this looks to just be piling it on to the point where it loses it’s effectiveness. – JTM
Theater, Rent, No Thanks, Undecided? Rent (but maybe Theater). I have always supported Rogen and his buddies no matter what, even when it hasn’t been the best outing. Sausage Party will be entertaining, no doubt, so a rental is a sure thing. However, in the dog days of August, it may be a decent catch in the cinemas. -LJF
Theater, Rent, Undecided, No Thanks? No Thanks. Even the all-star cast list doesn’t draw me in here. For the first mainstream adult-oriented animated film in nearly two decades, this looks to be more of a step backwards than something that might make progress in changing people’s minds about the way they view animated films. – JTM
Sausage Party gets roasted on August 12th, 2016
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