Horny hotdog questions the meaning of life

Is Sausage Party the Donald Trump of animated films?

Stylistically, they have more in common than you might think, being both foul-mouthed and self-consciously outrageous.

Politically and philosophically, on the other hand, they couldn’t be more different. While Trump panders to his supporters by appealing to their fears and frustrations, Sausage Party dares viewers to question the assumptions on which most of us base our very existence.

Set in a huge grocery store, the R-rated comedy stars Seth Rogen as Frank, a hotdog in love with a bun named Brenda (Kristen Wiig). Like other food products in the store, they look forward to the day when they’ll be liberated by a “god”—that is, a shopper—who will take them to the “promised land.” Only then will Frank and Brenda finally be able to satisfy the carnal needs that have been denied them by their moral scruples, not to mention the plastic packages that separate them.

But then, thanks to a jar of mustard who’s been returned by a dissatisfied shopper, Frank learns the ugly truth: There is no promised land. Rather than taking the food products to their salvation, the gods are carrying them away to be consumed. Horrors! Frank further learns from a group of aged “nonperishables” that the myth of everlasting life was invented to protect the products from the dread that once enveloped the store.

It couldn’t be much clearer that mixed in with all its cussing, food-on-food sex, drug use and cartoon mayhem, Sausage Party is presenting a sly critique on religion and conventional morality. And the controversy doesn’t stop there.

In the process of trying to convince Brenda and others that everything they believe is a myth, Frank runs into Sammy the bagel (Edward Norton, channeling Woody Allen) and Lavash the Arabic bread (David Krumholtz), who constantly argue about the “West Shelf” and other long-simmering disputes. Additional characters include Teresa (Salma Hayek), a taco with lascivious feelings toward Brenda.

Co-directed by Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon from a story concocted by Rogen, Evan Goldberg and Jonah Hill, Sausage Party is so cleverly satirical that I couldn’t help wishing it weren’t weighed down with humor that’s best appreciated by those who are either very young or very stoned. Besides plying us with constant cussing, raunchy sex and a smattering of gross-out violence, the script also gives us a villain (Nick Kroll) who is literally a douchebag.

At a recent preview screening, the young-trending viewers ate it all up, though the free beer and wine likely helped to lubricate their response. If you’re too mature or too sober to be tickled by gleeful displays of tastelessness and political incorrectness, you may find yourself laughing a lot less.

But that still leaves an ingenious premise brought to fruition with entertaining images and a slew of A-list voice artists. For those who appreciate fearless filmmaking, that may be reason enough to buy a ticket. 

Rating: 3½ stars (our of 5)
Sausage Party (rated R) opens Thursday night or Friday (Aug. 11-12) at theaters nationwide.

Teenage pals on an episodic road trip

The French coming-of-age film Microbe & Gasoline has been called a cross between Truffaut and Spielberg. I can see that, though it’s not up to the best of either director.

Nor is it up to the best of writer-director Michel Gondry, considering his best is 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But it’s not bad.

Daniel (Ange Dargent), also known as Microbe, is a shy, artistic 14-year-old who’s obsessed with death. Theo (Theophile Baquet), also known as Gasoline due to his distinctive odor, is a recent arrival at his school. The two loners become friends and eventually go on a summer road trip whose main purpose is to get them away from their oppressive home lives.

Both Dargent and Baquet are charismatic young actors, which helps to make up for the film’s shortcomings: The dialogue sometimes rings a bit precious, the plot is episodic, and the ending focuses on an issue that seems tangential.  

There are charming moments along the way, however, along with a few laughs. The best of the latter involve a visit to a Korean-run brothel disguised as a combination massage parlor and hair salon. There are also some chuckles involving the boys’ transportation, a handmade vehicle disguised as a shed.

All of this adds up to a film that’s pleasantly enjoyable, even if it isn’t entirely satisfying.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Microbe & Gasoline (rated R) opens Friday (Aug. 12) at the Gateway Film Center in Columbus.