The Bubble

Somehow both topical and outdated, The Bubble is apparently the product of filmmaker Judd Apatow’s boredom during COVID-19 lockdowns. And it’s about as much fun as wearing masks and social distancing.

A lackluster satire that squanders talent on both sides of the camera, this ill-conceived misfire tosses off some barbs about Hollywood entitlement while reflecting on pandemic precautions and restrictions with bewildered amusement.

Essentially a parody about making a big-budget blockbuster under such circumstances, the film features only a fraction of Apatow’s usual acerbic wit, and it doesn’t provide enough chuckles to overcome the inherent psychological hurdles of a moviegoing public still reeling from pandemic fatigue. Call it a failed experiment.

The story finds a group of actors sequestered at a hotel and converted soundstage to make a dinosaur sequel called Cliff Beasts 6 using green screens and a scaled-down crew, except there are a host of problems that cause production to drag on for months.

The franchise star (David Duchovny) doesn’t like the script, another actor (Karen Gillan) is treated like an outcast for skipping the fifth installment, the eccentric director (Fred Armisen) is more concerned with his own reputation, and the bickering producer (Peter Serafinowicz) tries to enforce the rules with little success.

There are some eclectic cameos along the way, but the enthusiasm of the charismatic ensemble — including Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, and Pedro Pascal — doesn’t carry over to viewers.

The screenplay by Apatow and Pam Brady (Team America: World Police) manages some scattered big laughs at a broad range of satirical targets — for example, the entire shoot is halted for two weeks after one presumed positive COVID test for a production assistant, but diagnoses for the flu and STDs are laughed off.

The film also riffs on Hollywood’s reliance on mindless franchises and reboots, technology glitches, oblivious performers and their sycophantic handlers, whiny millennial angst, and celebrity branding in the social-media age.

Yet the idea quickly grows tedious under the weight of characters who are collectively more obnoxious than endearing. Despite the situation, it’s not supposed to feel this phoned-in.

“I think all of the critics in the world are wrong,” the film playfully opines. Maybe so, but The Bubble is full of hot air.

Rated R, 126 minutes.