Review: Dirty Grandpa

Release: January 22nd, 2016

Director: Dan Mazer
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Robert Di Nero, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough

If you told a 14-year-old boy who had just learned about sex, drugs, amd swearing to write the funniest, dirtiest comedy he could, you'd probably end up with Dirty Grandpa. 

There's a certain level of self-awareness required in writing ultra-raunchy material. South Park, for example, always has a certain hidden level of intelligence and parody underneath the vulgarity that helps you enjoy it on multiple levels.

Dirty Grandpa, however, has none of that. If you've ever wanted to see Robert De Niro pleasuring himself in front of Zac Efron, after commenting on how remarkably specific that is, I would tell you to go see this movie.

There were a surprising amount of people in the theater for 2:00 pm on a Wednesday (it certainly wasn't packed, though) and I was definitely the youngest in the audience. I don't think there was anyone under 40, and there was even a couple who had to be somewhere in their 70s.

After attending the funeral of his recently deceased grandmother, young lawyer Jason Kelly (Efron) is asked by his grandfather (Di Nero) to drive him to his vacation home in Florida where he and his beloved wife went every year. Despite the disapproval of his wife-to-be Meredith (Julianne Hough) he accepts, as it's what his grandmother "would've wanted him to do" according to grandpa.

However, immediately as Jason arrives at his grandpa's house to begin the trip, it's clear that there are other plans on the mind of the recently single DIck Kelly.

Di Nero and Efron have surprising chemistry, with the roles switched a bit this time: Jason is an uppity, no-nonsense lawyer who just wants to please his obsessive fiance, while Di Nero is a wild, sex-obsessed, potty-mouthed old man who wants to "fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!!" His words, not mine.

With a better writer, it could have been a fantastic premise with opportunities for offensive laughs and heartfelt character moments. And while it starts out strong, getting a few good chuckles out of me, it soon descends into "what incredibly dirty thing can we have this legendary actor say next?"

In that, it lives up to the name of the film, but it becomes tiring as jokes are dragged on and on for far too long without any real breathing room. (Not because was gasping for air, mind you, because I was sighing and checking my watch) And while a handful of them land, the majority of them make your cringe and wonder who in the incredibly talented cast actually thought this was a good idea.

Eventually, of course, the film takes a few emotional turns and humanizes the unlikable titular grandpa, which was done reasonably well, but the "lesson" they try to push home feels artificial and wrong, because of how some characters are set up. For instance, they attempt to show that Jason's fiance is controlling and clingy, a la The Hangover, but it instead comes off as Jason being irresponsible and his family showing concern for him as he provides no explanation as to why he is late for his wedding rehearsal. Unbeknownst to them, of course, he is partying with the spring breakers in Florida.

It makes the movie feel inauthentic, as if they hurriedly tried to add in a lesson to justify the vulgarity. It works in some scenes, in others it doesn't.

There were a few decent laughs to be had, mostly from Di Nero at the beginning of the film. 

I find myself struggling to write any more, because despite the talent and inherently memorable premise, it's a rather forgettable and bland movie that goes for shock value but ultimately has none at all. 

It's not the worst film I've ever seen, but Mazer and crew will need to put more effort into it if they want to make a memorable comedy.

Verdict: 2.5/5