Good Boys Review

Synopsis
Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams), and Thor (Brady Noon) are going to a party hosted by the most popular kid in the sixth grade. When Max loses his dad’s drone, the three friends go on an epic adventure to get it back.

Review
When the trailers dropped for Good Boys, comparisons were made instantly to Superbad. The analogy is not too far off. Where Superbad dealt with high schoolers trying to hook up with girls, Good Boys deals with sixth graders trying to hook up with girls. And since these are elementary aged kids, “hook up” means kissing. That doesn’t mean the film is approached any differently. What made this film so enjoyable for me is that the plot of the film is exactly what you would expect to see in a sexcapade like Superbad, Eurotrip or Sex Drive except starring “tweens” instead of teenagers or young adults. Despite the language and vulgarity, they are still naive children who have no experience in the adult world of sex and sex toys and their innocence makes everything ten times better. The casting was great, especially Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, and Brady Noon, the three leads. They had me laughing non-stop throughout the entire film. If they are this outstanding as kids, I can’t wait to see them as they grow up.

I thought Good Boys was GREAT 😀 The raunchy comedy in this film is what you would expect to see from an older cast. The age-appropriate innocence of the characters mixed with the maturity of the subject matter makes for a unique and hilarious blend that had me in stitches throughout the entire movie.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Gene Stupnitsky – Director / Writer
Lee Eisenberg – Writer
Lyle Workman – Composer

Jacob Tremblay – Max
Keith L. Williams – Lucas
Brady Noon – Thor
Molly Gordon – Hannah
Midori Francis – Lily
Izaac Wang – Soren
Millie Davis – Brixlee
Josh Caras – Benji
Will Forte – Max’s Dad
Mariessa Portelance – Max’s Mom
Lil Rel Howery – Lucas’ Dad
Retta – Lucas’ Mom
Enid-Raye Adams – Thor’s Mom
Sam Richardson – Officer Sacks

Lightning Review: Dirty Grandpa

Synopsis
After his wife’s passing, Richard “Dick” Kelly (Robert De Niro), convinces his grandson, Jason (Zac Effron), to travel with him to Daytona Beach to get laid.

Review
I want to state that Dirty Grandpa has a very juvenile sense of humor. What else would you expect from a film about an old man going to Daytona Beach to have sex? Now for me, I have the mind of a thirteen-year-old so the humor is right up my alley. I laughed and that’s what I like out of a comedy. However, the humor in this film is shallow and relies on the absurdity and immaturity of its jokes to get the laugh. This can be a big turn off to most viewers (mainly those who are more mature than I am). If you understand that, then you know what kind of movie you are in for. As for the rest of the movie, it is very predicable and cliched. By the end of the first act, it is easy to call where Zac Efron’s character arc is heading. It’s a shame because the potential for a good story about a grandpa wanting to reconnect with his grandson was there, especially with Robert De Niro. It could have even been a raunchy comedy like they were aiming for. Instead they went for the easy sex jokes, which completely ruined any chance of a genuine movie.

I thought Dirty Granpda was OK :-|. The humor is not for everyone (read most people). I laughed but I’m not the best measuring stick for mature comedy. De Niro and Efron made for a good pair but the story and script wasn’t there to back them up.

Trailer

Cast & Crew
Dan Mazer – Director
John Philips – Screenplay
Michael Andrews – Composer

Robert De Niro – Dick Kelly
Zac Efron – Jason Kelly
Zoey Deutch – Shadia
Aubrey Plaza – Lenore
Jason Mantzoukas – Tan Pam
Dermot Mulroney – David Kelly
Julianne Hough – Meredith
Adam Pally – Cousin Nick
Mo Collins – Officer Finch
Henry Zebrowski – Officer Reiter