Masand: '30 Min...' is silly but entertaining

Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride and Nick Swardson

Director: Ruben Fleischer

30 Minutes or Less is a very silly but very entertaining comedy about two idiots (Danny McBride and Nick Swardson) who kidnap a laid-back pizza delivery boy (The Social Network’s Jesse Eisenberg) and strap him with a vest full of explosives, forcing him to rob a bank for them. It’s a ridiculous plan, but wait till you hear what’s behind it! These moron kidnappers need to pay a hitman to kill McBride’s wealthy father, so he can inherit his dad’s money and open a tanning salon that’ll actually be a front for a whorehouse.

The pace of the film is breakneck, and the repartee between characters so sharp, your sides will hurt from laughing. But it’s Aziz Ansari, as the panic-stricken pizza guy’s best friend, who steals the film with all the smart lines. When Eisenberg suggests checking the Internet to find a way to diffuse the bomb, Ansari replies seriously: “The last thing I looked up online was how to make a quiche, and I effed that up pretty bad.”

Directed by Reuben Fleischer who gave us that zany comedy Zombieland, this outrageous follow-up hits all the right notes thanks to the hysterical interaction between its two pairs of principal players. There are car chases and shootouts, but nothing’s more enjoyable than the banter between the boys. Don’t miss the hilarious sparring that ensues when Ansari finds out Eisenberg slept with his twin sister.

I’m going with three out of five for 30 Minutes or Less. Like junk food it has no nutritional value. But you won’t be able to resist it.

Rating: 3 / 5

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Winner:

Jaydip Ghosh, Kolkata

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