The only thing missing from the mayhem in "Observe and Report" is Billy Bob Thornton lurking in a corner of the shopping mall, guzzling booze in a Santa Claus suit.

When looking for thematic ancestors, "Bad Santa" may be the closest relative to "Observe and Report," but the latter is much meaner. The intent is a discomforting merging of styles and moods -- comedy meets agony -- but the result, as in many such mixed-mood outings, is unsettling semi-satisfaction.

In "Observe and Report," Seth Rogen plays Ronnie, a mall-cop supervisor, not to be confused with the hapless yo-yo played by Kevin James in the recent "Paul Blart, Mall Cop." Ronnie is all business, but not very good at what he does given his anti-social bent and occasional wild rage.

Ronnie is intent on capturing the most heinous fiend the mall has ever faced, a flasher in an overcoat who haunts the mall and its outdoor parking lot. Ronnie energizes his beyond-hapless deputies, but futility surrounds the efforts. When a local detective, played by Ray Liotta, takes over the case, Ronnie is furious that his power is usurped, and a vicious battle ensues between the two men. This culminates in Ronnie's attempt to become a real cop, his subsequent rejection and a brutal showdown between Ronnie and the police force when he realizes all he ever wanted he will never have as his own.

Meanwhile, Ronnie is hopelessly smitten with the loud, frequently drunk and smarts-challenged Brandi (Anna Faris), who works behind a makeup counter in the mall and has become the flasher's primary victim. He must also deal with his alcoholic mother, who dishes out inappropriate compliments to her son as she tries to keep from passing out drunk.

It all comes together with a comic mean streak in "Observe and Report," after starting out going for rude laughs only. Those laughs, some of them pretty funny, give way to numerous painful scenes as Ronnie falls deeper into a crevasse of despair and brutal truths. The intent is to challenge us with the approach, but after we recognize the novelty, then what? Appreciate the film as avant-garde comic art? It's just not good enough for that thin category, even if Rogen and cast muster some truly freaky, car-wreck performances from this unlikable crew of misfits.

C

"Observe and Report"

Starring: Seth Rogen, Anna Faris, Ray Liotta

Director: Jody Hill

Studio: Warner Bros. Films

Rated: R (for pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug use, sexual content and violence)

RT: 86 minutes