THIS Hollywood comedy caused a minor brouhaha when North Korea accused the Berlin Film Festival of instigating terrorism by screening it. Others including Barack Obama saw the accusation an attack on freedom of speech.

Having seen it, I wonder why the Festival selected a mainstream Hollywood comedy short on redeeming features, silly rather than stupid (but only by a whisker).

Dave Skylark’s TV interview program covering the detritus of the news is scoring high ratings worldwide. That jaundiced view of the TV audience is one of the few subtle points in co-directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen’s film. Co-writer with Dan Goldberg, Rogen also plays Aaron, Dave’s producer since the long-running program’s beginning.

North Korean officials invite Dave to interview President Kim (Randall Park). Details are arranged. The CIA persuades Dave and Aaron that it is their patriotic duty to assassinate Kim. CIA has confected a Mickey Mouse plot that will leave no traces.

From that point on, what from the opening frame shown hasn’t much sign of wit degenerates into what Hollywood calls comedy. Hollywood can do, has done, good comedy. Nowadays it so often just doesn’t try hard enough.

James Franco’s overplaying of dumb Dave from whom the screenplay withholds the inevitable professional epiphany until almost too late comes perilously close to stupid. Ho hum.

At Hoyts, Dendy, Greater Union and Limelight