Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping Review
By Rich Cline
An astute satire of the pop music business, this raucous mock-documentary is consistently hilarious from start to finish. Some of the jokes are corny, but everything about this movie has a point to make about fame and the music industry. The songs are jaw-droppingly wacky, as is the constant string of big-name cameos. And it's anchored on a riotously funny performance by Andy Samberg.
He plays Connor, formerly one-third of the boy band Style Boyz, alongside his childhood friends Owen (Jorma Taccone) and Lawrence (Akica Schaffer). When Conner decided to go solo, Owen tagged along with him as his deejay, while Lawrence angrily left to become a farmer. But sales of Connor's new album are wobbling, and with 32 people on his personal payroll, he needs to bring in the cash. After a marketing scheme to upload his music to kitchen appliances backfires, he heads out on his Connquest world tour, supported by unhinged singer Hunter (Chris Redd). But Owen thinks that what Connor really needs is to make up with Lawrence, and bring the Boyz back together again.
Samberg is perfect as the too-cute musician who believes all the hype and doesn't have a clue what's really happening around him. Even in his ignorance, Connor is hugely likeable, because he never means to be cruel. This makes his interaction with the people around him thoroughly engaging, and often laugh-out-loud funny, from Sarah Silverman's PR guru to Tim Meadows' enthusiastic manager to Maya Rudolph's kitchen appliance queen. Joan Cusack has some marvellous moments as his dotty mum, while Imogen Poots gets the film's best sequence as the "official" girlfriend he proposes to complete with an ill-advised pack of wolves and live music by Seal. And then there's Justin Timberlake as Connor's singing chef.
The cameos get a bit overwhelming as the film goes on. Mariah Carey, Michael Bolton and Usher all have brilliant scenes as themselves, while many others pop up in amusing side roles. The songs are inspired in their pastiche absurdity (such as the way Connor interjects "not gay!" all the way through his single about marriage equality, which features a surging chorus by Pink, naturally). In other words, the jokes are piled into every moment of this movie, and most of them hit the target with precision, leading to a riotous climax at the star-studded Pop Awards. And the funniest thing is that nothing in here is actually that exaggerated.
Rich Cline
Facts and Figures
Year: 2016
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 87 mins
In Theaters: Wednesday 3rd August 2016
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Production compaines: Universal Pictures, Apatow Productions, Party Over, Lonely Island, The
Reviews
Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5
IMDB: 6.9 / 10
Cast & Crew
Director: Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone
Producer: Judd Apatow, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Rodney Rothman
Screenwriter: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone
Starring: Andy Samberg as Conner4Real, Jorma Taccone as Owen, Akiva Schaffer as Lawrence, Imogen Poots as Ashley, Sarah Silverman as Paula, Mike Birbiglia as Blonde CMZ Reporter, James Buckley as Actor, Sandra Rosko as Concert Fan, Tim Meadows as Harry, Lili Sepe as Teen Girl 1, Madeleine Wade as Lisa, Jasmine Hester as Conner's Entourage, Brandon Van Vliet as Award Guest, Carly Anderson as Dancer, Cameron Brinkman as Roadie, Maya Rudolph as Deborah, Carrie Underwood as Herself, Snoop Dogg as Himself, Adam Levine as Himself, Joanna Newsom as Herself, Will Arnett as Main CMZ Reporter, Bill Hader as Zippy, Joan Cusack as Tilly, Martin Sheen as Himself, Will Forte as Bagpipe Player, Seal as Himself, Pink as Herself, Usher Raymond as Himself, Simon Cowell as Himself, Chris Redd as Hunter, Nas as Himself, 50 Cent as Himself, Ringo Starr as Himself, Akon as Himself, Mariah Carey as Herself, Danny Strong as Perspective Manipulator, Big Boy as Himself, D.J. Khaled as Himself, Kevin Nealon as Gary Sikes, Mario López as Himself, Chelsea Peretti as Brunette CMZ Reporter, Eric André as Dreadlocked CMZ Reporter, Danger Mouse as Himself, RZA as Himself, T.I. as Himself, Pharrell Williams as Himself, Paul Scheer as Wolf Handler, Jimmy Fallon as Himself, "Weird Al" Yankovic as Hammerleg Lead Singer, Michael Bolton as Himself, Justin Timberlake as Chef (uncredited)
Also starring: Judd Apatow
