A comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of Orson Welles' legendary 1938 'War of the Worlds' radio broadcast, which led millions of listeners to believe the U.S. was being invaded by Martians.
Lambert doesn't shy away from adding layers of pathos, but Brave New Jersey is essentially an uplifting romp, led by a lovely, delicate performance from Tony Hale.
Lambert aims for gentle, Lake Wobegon-ish nostalgia, but the jokes never land, the undifferentiated small town confers no sense of location, and its eccentrics aren't particularly weird.
