Dirty Grandpa - movie review

Dirty Grandpa

Plot: Right before his wedding, an uptight guy is tricked into driving his grandfather, a lecherous former Army Lieutenant-Colonel, to Florida for spring break.
Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Zoey Deutch
Director: Dan Mazer
Rating: 15
Runtime: 1hr 42 mins
Release Date: Friday 29th January 2016

To try and describe Dirty Grandpa in one word is impossible. It's grotesque, vile, shocking, offensive, outrageous and I really liked it. This is by no means the new Shawshank Redemption but it really isn't the travesty that some are labeling it as. Something that needs to be stressed though, is that this movie is not for the easily offended. The jokes are constant (whether they work or not is debatable) but if you are not fond of gross out and crass humour, this is most definitely not for you. 


I do admire that many of the actors fully committed to their roles. The two exemplars of this are our two leads. Robert De Niro is quite frankly jaw dropping. The things that leave his mouth are totally unexpected but most had me chuckling quite a bit. He really does give it his all in this film and whilst this is by no means his best performance, it does seem like a welcome release from hard hitting dramas by Martin Scorsese or David O' Russell. There were also scenes that I didn't expect De Niro to ever be featured in. Some may view this as a fall from grace but I just see it as someone enjoying his time. However, and there is no way to word this politely, seeing De Niro being caught masturbating was a little too much. The other actor who committed to this role and has continued to impress me with his comedic skills was Zac Efron. His High School Musical days are far behind him and this proves it. The chemistry he has with De Niro is impressive and the bond they form is fun to watch. But he also pushes the boundary of acceptable humour. A scene in which he is high and performing the macarena in a thong is only funny for a while. As the scene continues for 10 minutes, it begins to lose its comedic value. Aubrey Plaza also stars in this film as a college girl desperate to have sex with De Niro's character. This girl has no filter on what she says. A lot of her character's dialogue was ad-libbed but what she delivers is just pure insanity. She is funny some of the time whilst other times, you struggle to laugh after what has just been said as it's left you in a state of shock. Not all of the performances are that much of a hit. Julianne Hough as Efron's uptight bride to be is nothing but annoying. I understand that she is meant to be unlikeable but I just wanted her off the screen because she was nothing but irritating to watch. Jason Mantzoukas is also underused in this film. He is given the role of an uninteresting drug dealer that just casually pops into the action whenever the story requires it. 

Whilst the humour may stand out as the main talking point of this movie, the story is what stops this being nothing more than a basic run-of-the-mill raucous comedy. It is a premise that has been overplayed numerous times and will continue to do so for even longer. Any dramatic plot twists that feature are so clear and obvious that it can be seen coming a mile off. It's ridiculously evident that Efron isn't happy with his forthcoming marriage and the girl he meets during his road trip (Deutch) will end up being his reason for leaving Hough. The movie also contains pointless attempts at heart. I can grasp an understanding of De Niro being this controversial and risqué character because, after his wife's death, he realises that he needs to live life to the fullest. But that explanation doesn't have to be forced down my throat everytime De Niro crosses the line. The humour, as I've mentioned, does not hold back. The jokes from De Niro, Efron and Aubrey are the only ones that ever seem to hit. The other jokes seem to be included to make sure the supporting characters get enough screen time. That unfortunately restricts the flow of the movie making it very stagnated. Therefore, Dirty Grandpa falls into the trap that many other comedies become victim of. That trap is how the first half is much better than the second half. The beginning 45 minutes of the film are when all the jokes come flying fast. The closing 45 minutes are when that humour is substituted for false attempts at heart and

story. The main issue that I have with this film is how it lacks identity. Nothing about it feels entirely original and it's almost as if they have borrowed elements from previous films that have been a success and just swapped character names and set pieces when relevant. The cinematography is basic and nothing distinctly mentionable but it didn't seem lazy which is a blessing. But no one watches this movie for cinematic wizardry. They come to laugh and I think it succeeds in doing so.

This is no new revolutionary comedy and my guess is that it will be forgotten soon but I whole heatedly would like De Niro to appear in comedies like this more often. He embraces the ridiculousness and his humour is so damn absurd, it works. So whilst I cannot say that this is the must see comedy of the year, you wouldn't be wasting your money if you wanted to give it a watch. But please, no more De Niro masturbation. I can live a better life if I never have to witness that again.

My Verdict: 6.5/10

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