How entertaining? ★☆☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 22 January 2016
A movie review of DIRTY GRANDPA. |
YouTube review:
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“’Injunctive relief’, that tickled my funny bone,” David Kelly (Dermot Mulroney)
The first supposed gags involve a knowing nod to unfunny gags, a shame then that the movie itself is so unaware of its own lack of humour. DIRTY GRANDPA trawls the gutter to find a laugh, and comes up short. Button-pushing comedy is welcome when allied to intelligent swipes, from BAD SANTA to BORAT, shining a light where most do not know how to tread. Challenging societal niceties, assumptions and values is meant to hold up a mirror to prejudices (and of course be uncomfortably hilarious, see for example IN THE LOOP); but what happens when the movie is so brainless as to make you question its prejudices?
The first supposed gags involve a knowing nod to unfunny gags, a shame then that the movie itself is so unaware of its own lack of humour. DIRTY GRANDPA trawls the gutter to find a laugh, and comes up short. Button-pushing comedy is welcome when allied to intelligent swipes, from BAD SANTA to BORAT, shining a light where most do not know how to tread. Challenging societal niceties, assumptions and values is meant to hold up a mirror to prejudices (and of course be uncomfortably hilarious, see for example IN THE LOOP); but what happens when the movie is so brainless as to make you question its prejudices?
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DIRTY GRANDPA scatterguns race, gender, sexuality, disability so dubiously. At the conclusion, there is an attempt to clawback some sort of cinematic dignity, as Robert De Niro’s titular lead, Dick Kelly (even his first name is a scrape of the barrel), defends his motivation as an attempt to shake grandson, Jason (Zac Efron), out of taking the path of least resistance. The end does not justify the means here.
“Meat d*ck f*cks”, Dick exclaims at one point. You can be foul-mouthed and still be classy: IN BRUGES, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, WORLD’S GREATEST DAD. Sophistication was never in this building for it to have left. At the funeral of his wife, Dick emotionally blackmails Jason into a road trip. The latter was supposedly a free spirit once. As personality began to be ironed out post-high school, thanks to father and boss David, was also when Jason and Dick lost touch. Now Jason is a dweeby, preppy corporate lawyer about to marry a harridan, and fellow legal eagle, Meredith (Julianne Hough). This lesson in backbone growth is no BACK TO THE FUTURE.
Dick admits to Jason the real motivation for the trip is for the former to get laid, after a 15-year abstinence. Along come two college ladies on the way to spring break shenanigans. Lenore (Aubrey Plaza – always game) and Shadia (Zoey Deutch) allow the duo to have a double date. Of course, in typical lazy romantic-comedy fashion, Shadia will not only help Jason get over his current squeeze, but prove to be the one. There will be plenty of eye-rolling come the climax.
Wait till you get to the karaoke sequence and De Niro rapping. The scene crosses over into the offensive, and derails the rest of the film – how can it can recover after a complete misjudgement?
If there is a worse comedy in 2016, we are in for a rough movie year.
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