Chet and Nick and Chet (Aziz Ansari and Jesse Eisenberg) are not just best buddies, they are also roommates. Despite being so close, their lives are on completely different paths. Nick has got a major crush on Chet's sister, Chet has a very promising career but also a very big mouth, as he revealed a secret that ended the marriage of Nick's parents. But hey that's all in past as they have to put their differences aside as Nick has a bomb attached to his chest.
The fiends who felt the need to rig up Nick to a pile of explosives are Travis and Dwayne, (Nick Swarsdon and Danny McBride). Dwayne has a hate-hate relationship with pop, who won the lottery, became a millionaire, and has spent every waking moment since telling his son that he is brainless and has no ambition. When pops goes too far one day Dwayne decides to hire a hitman, bump off pop and inherit his millions, simple.
The only thing spoiling Dwayne's master plan, is his lack of readies to pay he aforementioned hitman, and that's where Nick enters the plot. Travis and Dwayne pose as two guys who want nothing more than a pizza in front of the TV, and when Nick turns up with their snack they grab him, strap the bomb to him, and tell him he has two choices; either rob a bank for them or they'll blow him to bits.
As crazy as this storyline sounds, 30 Minutes or Less actually works very well as it stays within the parameters of the premise it sets at the beginning and doesn't try to veer into other, unnecessary areas to pad out the movie. The jokes are good enough to make you laugh, there's just about the right amount of action and just enough sentiment to make it endearing without reaching for the sick bag.
It also greatly benefits from the early character development, we are introduced to Nick by seeing him at work and when he gets home Chet is there. This may seem brief, but then you see it you will appreciate that it is perfectly adequate, plus, Ansari and Eisenberg use their great comic timing and on screen chemistry to bring these simple boys to life in a highly entertaining way.
Travis and Dwayne, on the other hand, are far from simple and there are many layers to their personalities, but only one actually develops fully, leaving the other trailing in his wake. Travis is the dude who follows the emotional arc, as in he starts the movie as one guy, goes through the whole gamut of emotions, and ends the movie as a completely transformed character.
The main fall down of this movie is Dwayne, a total moron that you very quickly couldn't give a damn about. He gains a smidge of sympathy at the start for the way his dad treats him, but when he hatches his mad plan you understand why his pop is so ashamed of his bumbling idiot if a son, and that he is also one mean SOB.
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30 Minutes or Less has more than enough content to keep you entertained for the running time. There are a few flaws obviously, but overall a good effort from all concerned.
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