"Sausage Party"- Clever scripting and amusing high-concept satire overcome the consistently hit-and-miss gags.

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2016)

I'm honestly surprised it's taken so long for such a high-concept satire as "Sausage Party" to hit the big screens. A hardcore R-rated take on the incredibly popular works of companies like Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks Animation, the film is very much a timely sort-of parody of modern pop-culture giants while at the same time serving as a more broad and biting commentary on concepts like religion and bigotry. It's a film that's surprisingly far more clever than it's raunchy and suggestive title would imply, with plenty to say beneath the bodily function and drug- related gags that take up much of its screen time.
Frank (voiced by co-writer Seth Rogen) is an anthropomorphic hot-dog living a seemingly idyllic existence in a supermarket, where the food view human customers as gods that will take them to a heavenly "great beyond" once they are purchased. He is also insanely devoted to his "girlfriend", a hot-dog bun next to him on the shelf named Brenda (Kristen Wiig) with whom he hopes to consummate a sexual relationship once they are "chosen." (Although it is strictly forbidden for them to do so before they ascend.) However, when a bottle of Honey Mustard reveals to Frank that the "great beyond" and indeed their religion as a whole is a lie, and a shopping cart accident flings he and Brenda out onto the floor, the two food items (along with a small supporting cast) go on a journey to learn the truth...
The strength of the film lies in its clever and often shocking use of the computer-animated feature format to tell a fairly relevant and even troubling story using the most unlikely of characters. The film's commentary on blind religious devotion and conflict is actually quite well-developed and very amusing, raising many good points despite the cast being made up of foul-mouthed food-stuffs. Particularly uproarious is an ongoing dig at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict revolving around a lavash and a bagel respectively voiced by David Krumholtz and Edward Norton. (Yes, Edward Norton.) While some have bemoaned that the film- a glorified stoner-comedy filled to burst with sex gags and lowbrow humor- has tried to delve into more subversive and societal commentary, I actually applaud it. Yes, it's treatment of serious subject matter is quite broad and not particularly complex, but I found that it still worked very well and definitely gets you thinking about these matters. And that's nothing to sneeze at. If a talking hot-dog who drops f- bombs like it's nobodies business can actually get an atheist and his religious friends into a healthy and friendly debate as did indeed happen to me and my friends after viewing it, you know the film is doing something right.
The cast and overall production is fairly top notch for the budget level and somewhat notoriously troubled production. Rogen is a capable and very charming lead in much of his work, and that continues here. He gives Frank a likable personality and you want to see him succeed. Wiig is a good bit of fun, particularly when her character is given a great deal of self-doubt as the film reaches its second act. Supporting roles by the likes of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera and the aforementioned Krumholtz and Norton are just a blast and add a lot of flavor (bad joke, I know) and laughs to the proceedings. And a surprise supporting role by Salma Hayek as a lesbian taco is a treat all around. Animation is smooth, fluid and nicely stylized, with a good visual aesthetic that is very reminiscent of early CGI animated features. Character design is very simple but elegant. And the limited but highly important song numbers are very tightly written and generally quite amusing.
However, there is one issue that I have to mention, and it's where the film loses major points. And that is the humor, which I just unfortunately found to be a bit too hit-and-miss. When it works, it really works. And there are definitely enough big laughs and soft giggles to make it a worthwhile watch on the whole. But it does falter quite a bit, particularly early on. I know I can't be the only one to find the villain (a literal douche) to be grating and completely unfunny, which is troubling given his amount of screen time. (And yes, I understand that he's supposed to be unlikable... but he should still be able to get a chuckle out of the audience here and there.) A bizarre gag involving the song "I Would Do Anything for Love" seems very forced and out of left field. And it does take a bit too long for the major laughs to set in.
Thankfully, the film's wonderful satirical elements keep the audience invested long enough for the story and the humor to hit its stride, and eventually the laughs do start to come at a mile-a- minute once the first act wraps up. And once it gets going, there's no stopping it. "Sausage Party" might be a bit of a troubled comedy due to a number of flat jokes early on, but its easily elevated thanks to the clever writing and bizarrely complex commentary that the script so excels at. While it might not go down as one of Seth Rogen's funniest films, it's still a great addition to his ever-growing body of work, and has a lot to say about the world behind all of the zany gags and foul jokes. And so I give it a good 8 out of 10. Definitely worth checking out.