It's completely understandable why Neighbors wasn't exactly a success upon its release and why critics panned it every time they got the chance. Following super hit Blues Brothers with a weird, low-key black comedy was always going to be a challenge. The premise is comparable to The 'Burbs: mysterious neighbours in an isolated suburbia cause great stress and confusion for its uptight inhabitants. The whole thing plays very much like a WB cartoon, the irritating mickey-mousing score being an obvious clue. John Belushi is fun in an against-type performance whilst Dan Aykroyd is as good as ever. The humour is dark and wacky making the whole thing pretty unexpected and, times, random. Calling this film "illogical" is a bit like calling an episode of Road-Runner "improbable". The point of Neighbors is exactly that sometimes the random and the unexpected can be frustrating and overwhelming but that, in the end, it makes like much more interesting. Overall, Neighbors is great fun and its Tex Avery-style goofiness is either something you'll love or hate. Personally, I think this is a little gem deserving of some more attention and recognition.
Review of Neighbors
