If you know that workings of the mock group The Lonely Island from their Saturday Night Live stint or any of their parody songs which are all over the Internet then you know what you are in for in this mockumentary style movie based around the popstar Conner4Real (Andy Samberg) a world famous artist who’s solo career has exploded since the split of boy band The Style Boyz when fellow band member Laurence (Akiva Scaffer), tired of Connor taking all the credit while he wrote all the songs, walked away to pursue a life as a farmer leaving Owen (Jorma Taccone) to take up the mantle as Connors DJ.

Conner is a man at the top of his game with his entourage of thirty people who include a perspective assistant and a unicorn trainer and is eagerly awaiting the release of his second album Connquest however when things don’t go to plan and the new album is a flop, the wheels come off his career and his personal life with a bang and Conner has to try and resurrect his career but his supposed friends abandon him one by one and he is left with nowhere else to turn but to his old band mates for help.

As you would expect there is nothing sacred in terms of the comedy levels when it comes to the content and while they may be a parody band if you have ever actually listened to their music these are not just amateur joke songs, there is a production level as good as any in the music and the songs in this movie are no different, from F*ck Bin Laden and Equal Rights through to I’m So Humble this is one soundtrack I’ll be watching out for.

With celebrity cameos to beat the band and some great supporting performances in particular from Sarah Silverman as Paula Klein, Conner’s publicist, Tim Meadows as Harry Duggins, Conner’s manager and long-time collaborator Justin Timerlake as Tyrus Quash Conner’s chef the dialogue is kept sharp and scathing and while there are too many jokes, coming thick and fast that I’m sure I missed a couple but some, such as a toilet incident in the Anne Frank house and a roadie who’s hobby is flat lining are just two that stick in my mind. The movie does suffer from a weak plot and runs out of steam a little along the way but not enough that you aren’t waiting to see what’s coming next.

If you are easily offended or if this type of comedy is not your cup of tea then this is not for you but I found this a laugh a minute parody of the music industry and while not on the same level as the classic Spinal Tap it’s well worth a look.

DJ Speaks Rating: 5.5 Out Of 10

Starting in 1996, we see star pupil Calvin Joyner (Kevin Hart) receiving an award at his last high school pep rally and the overweight Robbie Weirdicht (Dwayne Johnson) is being bullied while taking a shower. When the bullies leave Robbie naked in the middle of the gym for all to see Calvin comes to his aide and so begins a chain of events that lead into the start of the movie.

Twenty years have passed and Calvin is now stuck in a mundane office job, he is having problems with his college sweetheart Maggie (Danielle Nicolet), who is now his wife and the twenty year re-union is coming up where he does not want everybody to see just what a comparative failure his life has become. When he receives a Facebook friend request from a Bob Stone he accepts and soon realises that it is in fact Robbie Weirdicht and agrees to meet for drinks. Robbie has gotten things together and while still being a bit weird he has turned all the fat to muscle and seems to have gotten his life on track. During their night out Calvin comes to notice that Robbie has done exactly the opposite of him and when Robbie asks him for a favour in looking at some accounting records which he is having problems with he reluctantly agrees to help.

The next morning the CIA turn up at Calvins home claiming that Bob Stone is a rogue agent and Calvin has been accussed of assisting a wanted criminal. When Calvin brings the agents to his office to show them the files Bob wanted him to look at Bob shows up and rescues Calvin against his wishes so the two men must team up to clear their name and get to the high school re-union in time.

Johnson has really made a name for himself in Hollywood in the past few years with his performances as Hobbs in the Fast And The Furious franchise and he showed his comic ability in the very underrated Pain & Gain. He hits all the right notes here as the initially childlike Stone with his bum bag and unicorn t-shirt fawning over his high school idol who transforms as the movie progresses as the many layers of his character are fully revealed. Hart has yet to win me over as he still comes across as but of a manic version of Chris Rock and, in my opinon, has yet to stamp his mark on a movie as a man who can command a lead role, although his performance here does come close. While quite similar to the Ride Along movies in terms of the fish out of water plot line the movie elevates itself with some moments of comic brilliance, watch out for the marriage counsellor scene, or the ‘Are You Out Or In?’, ‘I’m Out’, ‘Glad You’re In’ routine which shouldn’t work as well as it does.

While it’s not a brilliant movie the chemistry and partnership between the leads make it very enjoyable even if it has all been done before. Although it does get a bit bogged down in the final third when it begins to swap the comedy for action scenes which takes away from the strongest features of the movie. I hope we get another comedy movie with Hart & Johnson in future as the partnership definitely works (please don’t let it be Central Intelligence 2) and it’s worth a watch as you will get a laugh or two out of the film, just don’t expect a classic.

DJ Speaks Rating: 5.5 Out Of 10