30 Minutes or Less (2011)

Nick has 30 minutes to deliver a pizza or the cost of it gets taken out of his paycheck. Nick also has 12 hours to rob a bank and deliver the money to a couple of dimwitted criminals before the bomb strapped to his chest detonates.

30 Minutes or Less tells the story of Dwayne, a middle-aged slacker who is living off his hard-ass father's fortunes. When Dwayne gets it into his head that his father is recklessly spending all his money, leaving nothing for Dwayne to inherit, he hatches a plan to have his father killed. To get the money to pay off the hit man, Dwayne kidnaps Nick, a pizza delivery boy, and straps a bomb to his chest that will detonate in 12 hours if Nick fails to bring Dwayne the money he needs. What follows is a hilarious series of misguided attempts at amateur crimes including the world's worst bank robbery and a good-intentioned instance of grand theft auto.

The cast of 30 Minutes is led by Jesse Eisenberg as Nick and Danny McBride as Dwayne. Eisenberg's performance is, as always, witty, sarcastic and clever, punctuated by overly serious moments. McBride plays the same character as always, having been unfortunately but undeniably typecast. In this flick, he fails to offer anything new, instead resorting to simply regurgitating all his past performances.

Aziz Ansari plays Chet, Nick's best friend turned partner in crime, and proves to be the true comedic highlight of the film. Chet's sister Kate is played by the stunning Dilshad Vadsaria, who gives an entertaining performance alongside Eisenberg's character. Rounding out the main cast is Nick Swardson as Travis, Dwayne's smarter and funnier friend.

Despite McBride's awkward and overdone attempts at comedy, 30 Minutes is a thoroughly funny flick. Eisenberg, Ansari and Swardson more than make up for the shortcomings of McBride. With references to the Contra Code and Point Break, the flick aims to please an audience slightly older than the current generation of college kids. There is also plenty of relevant, relatable humour to be found in the film, highlighted by a clever jab from Eisenberg aimed at Facebook.

Simple editing, minimal special effects and a fast-paced story keep viewers of 30 Minutes or Less entertained throughout the entire flick. There are a handful of impressive explosions to be found as well, as it seems a Danny McBride movie would be incomplete without them.

If you're a Danny McBride fan, this flick has more than enough of what you want, and for those who are over the comedian's repetitive jokes, don't let him keep you away from this sidesplitting movie. If you're looking for a fun, entertaining flick, then 30 Minutes or Less is definitely what you're looking for and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars