The Film
Andy Samberg was never really a bit player on Saturday Night Live. He definitely had moments on the live show, but where he really excelled was in the pre-recorded "Digital Short" segment. For 10 seasons, the "SNL Digital Short" has been a staple of the show. Even if you didn't watch SNL, you most likely watched videos for "Lazy Sunday," "Natalie's Rap," "Dick in a Box," or "I'm on a Boat" on YouTube -- repeatedly.
Most of those shorts were written and produced by a trio known as The Lonely Island, which includes Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone. The childhood friends were writers for SNL, but have continued The Lonely Island tradition of creating comedy since Samberg left the show in 2012.
The group's first post-SNL major motion picture is Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping -- and it really plays to their strengths. It's got music, it's got comedy, and it's got Justin Timberlake (in one of the film's many cameos).
Popstar is a mockumentary, in the same way as This Is Spinal Tap. It starts with a fake camera crew covering the history of The Style Boyz, a fake hip-hop trio featuring childhood friends Conner (Samberg), Lawrence (Schaffer), and Owen (Taccone). The group has some minor success, which launches Connor into mega-stardom and into a mega-dorky persona known as Connor4Real.
From there, the film tracks Connor4Real and all of his ridiculousness, as well as his downfall. This footage is mixed in with interviews with actual music stars, including NAS, Carrie Underwood, Usher, 50 Cent, Ringo Starr, and many more. It's a little over the top at times, but it's supposed to be.
Like Spinal Tap, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping wasn't a box office success, but it may end up having a similar outcome. It definitely won't "go to 11" on the cult classic scale, just because so much of it is specific to the current music climate. That said, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping should find itself a proper audience because it's just really funny.
Looking for the extended remix? Check out Matthew Passantino's theatrical review of Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
The Picture
Like a big-budget music video, Popstar sparkles and shines on Blu-ray. The color palette is wide and pretty spot-on, with black levels that are deep and inky. However, the detail is really the best part of this 2.40:1 image. The texture on Connor's outfits, the scenery on the farm, and even the sometimes-too-clear detail on the screaming fans all stand out here. It should be noted that the film has some home-movie types of shots, which are not as stellar, but they aren't supposed to be. Overall, you should have no complaints with what's going on here.
The Sound
Popstar is part music video and part concert film, so it makes sense that it has a nice DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The dialogue is always clear throughout, but the musical portions of the film are definitely the strongest part of this mix. Those songs will get the room shaking quite nicely. Still, there are also plenty of slapstick moments (as well as crowds, bees, and wolves) to keep the surrounds busy.
The Extras
If you appreciate The Lonely Island's digital shorts, you'll enjoy the extras included with this set. Designed for the short-attention span, there are music videos, deleted scenes, outtakes, and extended peeks at portions of the movie. Everything here is on the same level as what's in the main feature. However, it would have been nice to have a featurette on the trio and maybe even something on the mockumentary style and cameos in the film. That said, if you want something slightly more in-depth, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer all participate in a feature-length commentary track.
Final Thoughts
For fans of The Lonely Island, this film is an absolute must-see. If you don't know about the band, you may want to spend some time on YouTube first. They can be a little offensive, over the top, and completely goofy. Would you really expect anything less from a movie with an extended title like Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping? That said, this is one that should get a bigger audience on Blu-ray and the audio, video, and extras add to that fun. Enjoy.
Product Details
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