Product Placement Peppers Plot

Rating: 5/10 (4 October 2014)

I would certainly have rated this movie higher if it weren't for the many overt product placements. There were a number of scenes that were really funny. One reason I rarely go to movie theatres anymore is because of the commercials beforehand. By 67 minutes into the movie, Papa Johns had been cited visually or verbally at least 9 times - the male and female leads were having a conversation about Papa Johns at one point! Let's not forget the E-Harmony repeated mentions! Then, there was KFC, Facebook, Time Life... I recognize that directors/producers are trying to finance films. However, the film is becoming a vehicle for advertising. Unlike where TV commercials are separated from TV show content, this blurring and blending of commercials and content in movies is both insidious and increasingly bold and in-your-face! I can thoroughly enjoy the best of international commercials. However in this movie, the persistence of product placement served to overpower and trump the narrative at times for me, disrupting the flow and my connection to it.