Funnyman Andy Samberg stars in a mockumentary about the rise and fall of a rap artist. Time Warner Cable News film critic Neil Rosen filed the following review of "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping."
Samberg plays Conner4Real, an egomaniacal, superstar rapper who is about to launch his new album. He used to be part of a hip-hop boy band called Style Boyz, but Conner quit the group and went off on his own, gaining major solo fame and fortune.
He lives a life of excess and is all about self-promotion. But when his new album bombs, he becomes desperate and will do just about anything to get back on top.
Samberg wrote the film with longtime Lonely Island collaborators Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who co-created many of Samberg's SNL Digital Shorts. They also co-star and serve as co-directors.
The film satirizes the current music industry and takes pot shots at dozens of cultural targets from Justin Beiber to TMZ. There are countless cameos by popstars who play themselves, and many SNL alums are also on hand.
There is a lot of talent on board and the film does have has its funny moments. Particularly amusing are some of the songs that Conner sings on stage.
The film is trying to be Spinal Tap for a new generation, and with Judd Apatow serving as a producer, you can see his welcome influence periodically throughout the movie.
But like most SNL skits, it wears out its welcome and feels way too long. Samberg's character starts to grate on you after a while, I got the joke early on and more bits miss the mark than hit the target. It is a smart idea and it is ambitious. It is just too bad that it wasn't funnier.
Neil Rosen’s Big Apple Rating:
Two Apples