[yasr_overall_rating]
When it becomes clear that his solo album is a failure, a former boy band member does everything in his power to maintain his celebrity status.
I have spent the tail end of many long summers filling my time with VH1 shows like “I Love the ’90s” or “2000s” and have even indulged in sprinklings of some caustic celebrity gossip via TMZ. A good dose of pop culture commentary is vital, and so is taking the piss out of it. It is best to check your highbrow at the door when entering the world of the Lonely Island trio (Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, Akiva Schaffer) in their music mockumentary, “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” that pokes fun at the music industry, celebrity life, and the invasion of social media. “Popstar” is like the viral SNL digital shorts “Dick in a Box” and “I’m on a Boat” on steroids, skewering its way through pop culture.
Andy Samberg is the delusional pop rap star Conner4Real, former member of the hit trio The Style Boyz, who is preparing for the drop of his second solo album CONNquest. The singles include a delayed ditty supporting the rights of the LBGT community, where Conner unceremoniously quips, “I’m not gay!” between verses and then there is the vulgar oddball song about bin Laden. With less that dazzling reactions before the big drop Conner pushes through and signs on to have his music played through household appliances as part of a promotional gimmick. It is the final blow before the tanking. Album sales are miniscule and the ridicule is full throttle. Concert sales take a dip too and in an effort to make up for it Conner’s loveable manager Harry (Tim Meadows) enlists mad dog rapper Hunter the Hungry as the opening act. As the tour goes on, the burn is felt and Conner is about to plummet to the bottom and skyrocket to the top of tabloid heaven as a costume change goes terribly wrong on stage catapulting the Bieber-esque Conner4Real into a series of media band-aids that only make matters worse.
While Conner’s over the top persona takes center stage throughout much of the film, the heart of the story is the rekindling of a friendship between life long friends, and former member of The Style Boyz, a now disgruntled farmer Lawrence (Akiva Schaffer), with the aid of Owen (also former Style Boy and current DJ to Conner4Real) (Jorma Taccone) and his “Parent Trap” inspired plan. Humble pie is had and the finale is epic.
“Popstar” is guaranteed to garner some laughs, if not continuously. If the vulgarity turns you off then the blitz of celebrity cameos (Usher, Mariah Carey, Adam Levine, Questlove and DJ Khaled to name a few) and their deadpan interviews should keep you entertained. And to top it off there is a dash of Justin Timberlake love. The Lonely Island trio flips pop culture media on its head and even sticks it to founder of TMZ’s Harvey Levin through the talents of Will Arnett. “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” rides high on the pulse of this millennial world and is worth seeing more than once to catch it all.
In theaters now
