Sausage Party [Review by Haus]

I wonder how many people will walk into Sausage Party thinking it’s a kids’ film, and walk out (the sooner the better, in that case) shaking heads and clasping hands and questioning deeply the world we inhabit. The number, I posit, is nonzero.

I enjoy this thought nearly as much as I enjoyed Sausage Party itself, and I’m positive that Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Dave Franco–the unlikely triumvirate behind some of the most balls-out hilarious scenes in recent film history in This is the End–enjoy it too. In my little mind’s eye, they’re all slouched somewhere coughing viciously through bong smoke, relishing every mistaken ticket sale and cooking up whatever nut-wild thing comes next.

In Sausage Party, the guys offer an animated, food-themed masterclass in sharp comedic excess. With the veneer of cuteness their Trojan horse, they effortlessly broach topic after taboo topic–religion, racial stereotyping, and sexuality of all forms are hit particularly hard and often–all while neatly eschewing the lame comedic currency of the Adam Sandleresque bottom-feeders: cheap sight gags, animals wreaking havoc, and toilet humor. This is intense, full-bore comedy, strong syrup, the laughs real and frequent. This film takes its pants off in the first five minutes, and does everything your mother warned you about (and a good deal I hope she didn’t) from there on in.

And here’s the next thing: Notwithstanding the neverending racial puns, a Native American booze bottle that talks like Hunter Thompson, and a Woody Allen-esque zionist bagel voiced by Edward Norton, you might be surprised to learn that thematically this film is actually quite smart. Really. It offers a fairly cogent takedown of organized religion, for one thing. And if you’re not into that, there’s always a wad of gum aping Stephen Hawking, strong voice talent all around, and some deeply imaginative food sex. Is it too much to say there’s something for everyone? I don’t think so.

I know the Pineapple Express crew can be a bit hit or miss, but Sausage Party is one for the record books. I’m legitimately surprised a major studio released this. This is some seriously raw stuff, and if you check your manners at the door, it’s also one of the funniest (and most memorable) movies of the year.

Haus Verdict: The best fake kids movie of all time truly earns its R rating, hitting hard and often. High-test amusement for the educated stoner, or, you know, you. 

Sausage Party opened August 12.

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