The Watch Review - 2 Stars

“The Watch”—originally titled “Neighborhood Watch”—starts life under a cloud because of the unintended comparisons to the  real life slaying of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch captain in Florida.   Now with a new title and a comic premise, producers hope viewers will get past comparisons and enjoy the humor—the story of a group of guys who band together to protect their community after an overnight security guard gets dismembered in a small town Costco store.  Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and Richard Ayoade make a funny gang who can’t shoot straight.  The jokes tend toward R rated crotch lines and get even more so as the movie progresses.  Their performances rise above the material—mostly high school humor.  Toward the last third as the aliens show themselves and the gang elects to load up on firearms, Jonah Hill  takes his friends to his room in the house where he lives with his mom.  He reveals an arsenal of weapons calling to mind the events of the Colorado theater shooting.  I will admit I laughed but after a while these  jokes wear down.  The gag about the wannabe policeman with an arsenal at home left an even worse impression.  Is this a movie release or are they just burning it off?  “The Watch.”  Does it deliver what it promises?  R rated high school level comedy.  Is it entertaining?  Some laughs.  Is it worth the price of admission?  It can’t be long before this lands on cable.