“Sausage Party” is the brainchild of Seth Rogen (among others), so I guess it would be fair to assume it is an acquired taste (pun totally intended). However, it’s still a delectable delight that packs a juicy punch by the end and offers much food for thought.
The movie opens in a superstore where various foods await their destiny at the hands of shoppers. Among them are a pack of horny hotdogs and an equally horny pack of buns. These await to be ‘united,’ while other groceries await ‘enlightenment’ or whatever lies in the beyond once they’re bought and paid for.
However, one tragic event changes their lives forever and things start unravelling faster than a Fruit Roll-Up. The groceries learn they not only have to escape their grim fate, but also avoid a sexist and angry sanitary product that is quite literally a douche. Along the way, they encounter some bittersweet truths they then have to deal with.
“Sausage Party” poster. Credit: Columbia Pictures, 2016.
I love how the movie juxtaposes real-life issues such as racism, religion, mob mentality, etc. in a superstore setting. “Sausage Party” is an has elements of allegory in its view on modern society. It hints at government control and comments on how easily humans can sell their values or succumb to brainwashing. The movie makes the clever decision of focusing on the groceries’ perspective; they dictate themselves by fixed rules (much like in Orwell’s “Animal Farm”). The characters may not be as well-rounded as you wish, and the film often depicts them as stereotypical caricatures with heavy accents. However, there’s no denying they are fascinating and have their own viewpoints that contribute to a fruitful journey.
The voice acting features a talented cast. Included are: Seth Rogen, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and many others, and the animation is quite appealing. The humour is sometimes unsettling (and even infantile and crass); so brace yourselves and don’t let your kids anywhere near this movie. But, as a satire and social commentary on all that’s wrong in the world and government in today’s uncertain times, “Sausage Party” definitely hits it out of the ballpark (or rather, out of the grocery store).
