One of many extra telling manufacturing credit in “The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” is that of producer Judd Apatow, whose personal comedian resume solely grows extra spectacular over time. As a lot as this movie is outlined by its cheerfully outlandish humor and one-off visible gags, there’s a gentle stab at an emotional throughline through which John is getting an increasing number of annoyed with how Martin and Ben appear to be rising past him and making an attempt (even half-heartedly) to be extra mature. The movie is barely midway dedicated to following this by way of, even when it is considerably like a parody of different Apatow-produced or directed movies like “Superbad” and “The 40-12 months-Previous Virgin.” Contemplating the outrageous violence on the climax of “The Treasure of Foggy Mountain,” you get the sense that the three leads and writers are extra in keeping with the “Anchorman” faculty of comedy; that, too, was produced by Apatow however far much less invested in any emotional connections.
All three of the leads acquit themselves properly (and clearly have the identical quantity of chemistry that they’ve exhibited of their previous non-feature work), although Herlihy might barely outshine his castmates, particularly as soon as Martin unleashes his profane alter ego within the climax. And it is humorous in a very ridiculous solution to see O’Brien, one of many nice late-night talk-show hosts, sport a goatee and function the purported grown-up of the movie in a supporting function. (In fact, it is doubly humorous to see him in an NBC Common undertaking, contemplating how the corporate parted methods with him in 2010.) However the performances listed below are as irrelevant because the plot — it is about whether or not or not “The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” is humorous, and the way usually it is humorous.
We’re greater than 15 years faraway from the Lonely Island’s first movie, “Scorching Rod.” On one hand, that film too is pretty slapdash and hit-or-miss; on the opposite, with hindsight, it is type of outstanding to see how members of its solid (not simply Andy Samberg, but in addition Invoice Hader and Danny McBride) have moved on to larger and higher issues. That small-town comedy served as a jumping-off level for its gifted solid and crew, resulting in a fair funnier movie within the 2010s (“Popstar: By no means Cease By no means Stopping”) and loads of different outstanding exhibits and movies. With that in thoughts, “Please Do not Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” might sooner or later be seen as the beginning of an enormous future for its three stars. For now, it is a hit-or-miss affair, however one which hits barely greater than it misses.
/Movie Score: 6 out of 10