The Watch *½

Akiva Schaffer directed this Sci-Fi comedy. Watch Preview. Cast: Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, Will Forte. Rated R for some strong sexual content including references, pervasive language and violent images. Running time is one hour and thirty-eight minutes.

A suburban "neighborhood watch" group serves as a front for dads to get some male-bonding time away from their families. The group finds itself in over its head when it uncovers a plot to destroy the world.

Several members of this cast are perfectly capable of being very funny. I know they can do it. I've seen it. But for some reason this time around they just babble nonsensically and obscenely and we're supposed to think it's funny. I'm very seldom offended by language, and I wasn't this time, but neither was I in any way entertained. There's  a kernel of a decent sci-fi plot and some decent cgi effects, but not a whiff of funny dialogue. I think younger males may be the only audience that would find this even remotely entertaining, but everyone else should take a pass on this one.

There  are no additional scenes once the final credits begin. Screen size and sound quality are meaningless for this film. Theatres/Times.