Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)

Rating: 7/10 (23 January 2020)

Directed by Akiva Schaffer & Jorma Taccone. Starring Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer, Tim Meadows, Sarah Silverman, Chris Redd, Imogen Poots, Maya Rudolph, Joan Cusack. (R)
The "This Is Spinal Tap" rock mockumentary style is updated to the modern age when dance pop and hip-hop dominate the charts; Samberg plays Connor4Real, an industry superstar dealing with the fallout of the release of his heavily-hyped album to dismal reviews and sales. Raucous, fast-paced comedy throws everything it can at the dartboard and sees what sticks, be it incisive satire, sly insider jabs, deadpan one-liners, knowingly dumb gags, or gross-out vulgarity. As a result, sloppy at times and uneven overall, but it's admirably relentless and generates more than enough laughs (even the shameful kind) to ultimately succeed in style. Serving as actors, producers, writers and directors, it's Samberg, Taccone and Schaffer's show--they of Lonely Island fame--but they share the wealth with their co-stars, including a galaxy of celebrity cameos from both the film and music industries, often playing themselves. As it is with Lonely Island, the songs are often ridiculous but still catchy enough to get stuck in the head (notably "Finest Girl (Bin Laden Song)").
72/100