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Okay, to people who read my blog regularly, it may seem that I’m going to
contradict myself here. But stay tuned.
Anyone who read my review of The Hangover: Part III may remember how I called out the first two for being too reliant on slapstick and having an average screenplay and thus never resonating to me as the comedy classics their fans saw them as. Well, now it’s five months after The Hangover: Part III, and Bad Grandpa is in theaters. You could make the argument that Bad Grandpa is a 90-minute-long slapstick-fest. Well you’d be wrong.
While the physical gags that made the whole theater roar with laughter all resulted from slapstick, what differs this Jackass production from others of its kind is one crucial factor: there is a screenplay here, ingeniously intertwined with candid-camera pranks that further the plot.
Johnny Knoxville heads the cast of four main characters with a surprisingly brilliant portrayal of 86-year-old Irving Zisman. After his daughter is sent to jail, he oversees his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) on a trip across the country to deliver the boy to his father. Along the way, we see typical Jackass stunts that, instead of putting the protagonists in danger of serious bodily harm, make us laugh with the reactions of the inexplicably involved passersby. These include, but are not limited to, Irving trying out his skills at a male strip club, Billy going up to strangers on the street asking to be adopted, and Irving entering Billy into a beauty pageant (what happens in this scene is probably the funniest part of the movie, and so I wish they hadn’t given it away in the trailer).
Clear to anyone who watches the movie, Bad Grandpa isn’t groundbreaking in its storytelling or revolutionary in its comedy. In 10 years, no one will be buzzing about it. But Bad Grandpa is a perfect one-time-viewing movie. After one time, I feel the laughs will be scarce, but in no way am I encouraging you to skip this movie. There’s a real feel due to its use of regular people, and I was intrigued throughout, because the setup of combined scripted and unscripted content never got boring and always kept things fresh. The movie offers something you can’t see anywhere else besides a Jackass production: R-rated, vulgar candid pranks, and a clever blend of real and fictitious content.
So, the reason I hype this movie is the same reason I gave The Hangover: Part III a good review. There’s a smart script here, and it’s the script that brings about the reactions and of the unwilling participants of the movie. I also feel it is necessary to reiterate how impressive of a performance Johnny Knoxville delivers. He never breaks character and is fully convincing in his performance of the world’s worst Grandpa. Jackson Nicoll is also commendable. While it’s evident by his glowing face that he’s enjoying every second of making this movie, he also fails to break character once.
Bad Grandpa doesn’t need to be seen on the big screen, but if you ever need a wholesome laugh, I’d tell you that it does need to be seen. As much as some might say this isn’t their kind of movie, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t laugh at least once or twice during Bad Grandpa. So like I said, no contradictions here. Just a witty screenplay like nothing you’ve ever seen, and although it’s not flawless, Bad Grandpa is a raunchily fun ride.
Anyone who read my review of The Hangover: Part III may remember how I called out the first two for being too reliant on slapstick and having an average screenplay and thus never resonating to me as the comedy classics their fans saw them as. Well, now it’s five months after The Hangover: Part III, and Bad Grandpa is in theaters. You could make the argument that Bad Grandpa is a 90-minute-long slapstick-fest. Well you’d be wrong.
While the physical gags that made the whole theater roar with laughter all resulted from slapstick, what differs this Jackass production from others of its kind is one crucial factor: there is a screenplay here, ingeniously intertwined with candid-camera pranks that further the plot.
Johnny Knoxville heads the cast of four main characters with a surprisingly brilliant portrayal of 86-year-old Irving Zisman. After his daughter is sent to jail, he oversees his grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) on a trip across the country to deliver the boy to his father. Along the way, we see typical Jackass stunts that, instead of putting the protagonists in danger of serious bodily harm, make us laugh with the reactions of the inexplicably involved passersby. These include, but are not limited to, Irving trying out his skills at a male strip club, Billy going up to strangers on the street asking to be adopted, and Irving entering Billy into a beauty pageant (what happens in this scene is probably the funniest part of the movie, and so I wish they hadn’t given it away in the trailer).
Clear to anyone who watches the movie, Bad Grandpa isn’t groundbreaking in its storytelling or revolutionary in its comedy. In 10 years, no one will be buzzing about it. But Bad Grandpa is a perfect one-time-viewing movie. After one time, I feel the laughs will be scarce, but in no way am I encouraging you to skip this movie. There’s a real feel due to its use of regular people, and I was intrigued throughout, because the setup of combined scripted and unscripted content never got boring and always kept things fresh. The movie offers something you can’t see anywhere else besides a Jackass production: R-rated, vulgar candid pranks, and a clever blend of real and fictitious content.
So, the reason I hype this movie is the same reason I gave The Hangover: Part III a good review. There’s a smart script here, and it’s the script that brings about the reactions and of the unwilling participants of the movie. I also feel it is necessary to reiterate how impressive of a performance Johnny Knoxville delivers. He never breaks character and is fully convincing in his performance of the world’s worst Grandpa. Jackson Nicoll is also commendable. While it’s evident by his glowing face that he’s enjoying every second of making this movie, he also fails to break character once.
Bad Grandpa doesn’t need to be seen on the big screen, but if you ever need a wholesome laugh, I’d tell you that it does need to be seen. As much as some might say this isn’t their kind of movie, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t laugh at least once or twice during Bad Grandpa. So like I said, no contradictions here. Just a witty screenplay like nothing you’ve ever seen, and although it’s not flawless, Bad Grandpa is a raunchily fun ride.
Rating:
3.5/5
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