DVD Review: The Sitter

The Jonah Hill comedy The Sitter is out on Blu-Ray/DVD Combo Pack today, and considering it didn’t do so well in theaters, you may be wondering if it is worth picking up. Read my review after the break.

In The Sitter, Noah Griffith (Hill) is in a bad one-sided relationship with a girl, has been suspended from college, and has no job. When his single mother has an opportunity to meet a man, Noah begrudgeingly agrees to babysit for his mother’s friend who set up the date. What Noah doesn’t expect is just how crazy these kids are. 13 year old Slater has major anxiety problems, wild child Blithe thinks she’s the next Kim Kardashian, and adopted son Rodrigo likes explosions and chaos a little too much. While babysitting, Noah gets a bootty call from his lady friend Marisa (Ari Graynor), but he has to pick up some drugs first. This leads to a wacky adventure spanning the entire night that includes a crazy drug dealer played by Sam Rockwell, lots of felonies, and even someone crapping their pants.

As a modern day Adventures in Babysitting, The Sitter had a lot of potential. The kids (and apparently their parents) certainly didn’t have a problem cursing, and there were a lot of great set-ups. Unfortunately, the laughs are not as prevalent as I would have liked. Sometimes the jokes fell flat, and other times there just seemed like missed opportunities. However, the kids themselves are very likable, and I’m always a fan of Hill’s comedic delivery. The plot was a bit lacking, but that is to be expected in a wacky comedy.

The Blu-Ray includes an Unrated version, behind the scenes featurettes, and several deleted/extended scenes. There’s a few collections of funny outtakes and gag reels which show that there was a lot of improvising on set.

While this film definitely isn’t on the level of The Hangover or other great R-rated adventure comedies, The Sitter still has enough laughs to at least rent.

Movie Rating: 3/5 Stars

DVD Rating: 3.5/5 Stars