The Night Before

Christmas trees are nice, but the makers of The Night Before have a different plant on their minds to celebrate the holidays. And we’re not talking about mistletoe.

This raunchy comedy about the all-night adventures of three friends looking to party on Christmas Eve certainly has a subversive spirit, but it isn’t as giving when it tries to turn the festivities from naughty to nice.

Their tradition started 14 years ago, when Isaac (Seth Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie) helped their lonely friend Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) from having to spend Christmas alone following the death of his parents.

However, much has changed since then, and the group has decided that the current reunion will be its last holiday adventure. Isaac’s wife is about to have a baby, Chris is a superstar athlete whose schedule is booked, and Ethan is looking to settle down. The routine just doesn’t fit anymore.

But first, they want to go out with a bang, hitting the streets of New York for a night of drugs and debauchery that they hope will end at an exclusive party known as the Nutcracka Ball, which is overflowing with celebrities and free booze.

The trio of lead actors conveys an infectious camaraderie, so that even if their characters don’t have much depth, at least they seem like they’re having fun amid their outrageous antics. Rogen is both convincing and hilarious in various states of narcotic euphoria, for what that’s worth. Cameos by Michael Shannon, James Franco, Tracy Morgan and Miley Cyrus further contribute to the mayhem.

Even if the gags drift in predictable directions, there are some scattered big laughs along the way (the biggest of which involves a drugged-out Isaac – who’s Jewish, by the way – stumbling into a midnight Mass while separated from his buddies). Yet the script by director Jonathan Levine (50/50) and a trio of other writers doesn’t consistently hit the mark, and the big-bash payoff ultimately fails to deliver.

Then comes the inevitable heartwarming third act, during which the film jettisons most of the rambunctious irreverence that made it stand out in the first place. By the time its bad boys try to spread good cheer, the result is more mischievous than merry.

Rated R, 101 minutes.