Watch Joe's Apartment

Joe's Apartment is a 1996 musical-comedy directed by John Payson and produced by MTV films. The movie tells the story of Joe (Jerry O’Connell), a naive and struggling youngster who moves to New York City to make it big. Joe is staying in a cheap, run-down apartment in New York City and is immediately greeted by his 50,000 singing, dancing and rapping cockroach roommates that have taken over his living space.

The plot of the movie is primarily centered around Joe's attempts to clean the apartment and get rid of the cockroaches. However, he soon discovers that the roaches share his love for music and dance which prompts him to make a deal with them. In exchange for their help in saving his apartment building from demolition, Joe will help the roaches audition for a crucial Broadway show.

The movie is set in the early 90s grunge era and the soundtrack reflects the period perfectly. It's packed with various genres of music, including rock, reggae, rap, and pop. The songs are catchy and high-energy, and each of them is brought to life with the synchronized dance routines of Joe and the roaches. The movie is a full-fledged musical, and every dialogue or interaction between the characters is done in rhythm with the music.

Beyond the tunes and choreography, Joe's Apartment also touches on some serious societal issues. The overall theme of the film addresses issues of gentrification and land development. Joe's landlord and local politician, Senator Dougherty (Robert Vaughn), wants to demolish the apartment building to make way for his shopping mall project. Joe, along with his roach roommates, use their skills to stop the senator and save the building.

The performances are noteworthy, and the cast does a fantastic job with the musical numbers. Jerry O’Connell is the heart of the movie and is charismatic in his role as Joe. His physicality is impressive and adds to the comedy of the movie. Megan Ward plays Lily, Joe's love interest and the artistic and politically conscious tenant of the apartment. Billy West, known for his work on Futurama, voices the cockroach gang, and each of them has a distinct personality and voice.

The production value is another standout aspect of the film. The seamless integration of the live-action and animated roaches is impressive, and the attention to detail in the film is on-point. The cockroach puppets are technically impressive and were created by the Jim Henson Company. The sets also reflect the grit and decay of early 90s New York City.

In conclusion, Joe's Apartment is a fun-filled, high-energy film that perfectly captures the spirit of the early 90s. The musical numbers and choreography are excellent, and the performances are impressive. The movie also touches on topical issues such as gentrification and land development. Despite not being a critical success upon its release, the movie has since gained cult status among musical lovers and deserving of a revisit.

Joe's Apartment is a 1996 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.5.