By Travis Johnson
Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island absolutely skewer pop excess with pinpoint accuracy in the latest trailer for their upcoming flick. This is just savage; while the punchlines live on the far side of plausibility, the callow irresponsibility, the unearned confidence, the arrogance, the obliviousness, the sheer Versailles-like conspicuous consumption are all absolutely on point. This is angry, angry comedy, and it’s beautiful.
There’s a plot here: Samberg is Conner Friel, ala Conner4real, a pop star in the Bieber mould who has to reform his old boy band after his latest solo effort crashes and burns. By the look of it, that’s just a framework to hang a never-ending barrage of jokes upon, which is just fine by us. The cast is incredible; alongside Samberg and his fellow Islanders, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, are Sarah Silverman, Tim Meadows, Imogen Poots, Bill Hader, Joan Cusack, Maya Rudolph, Will Arnett, Martin Sheen, Adam Levine, Snoop Dogg, Will Forte, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Cowell, Usher, DJ Khaled – the list goes on.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping is shaping up to be one of the best comedies of the year. We’ll find out for certain when it lands in Australia on June 2.
