Dirty Grandpa

There are some actors that will always be respected, for making some of the greatest acting classics of motion pictures. And this is where i can think of many amazing actors, but let us focus on one in particular, known as Robert De Niro. For me personally, it all started with The Godfather Part 2. He have been in several films before this one, but this is really where he showed what an amazing actor he is. I will have to say that it might have helped, thanks to the brilliant mind of film maker Francis Ford Coppola. We all know what happened then, Martin Scorsese made his masterpiece Taxi Driver, and Robert De Niro became one of the biggest actors. His performance in this film is still today so damn good, not many actors would have pulled this off than him. De Niro continued his rampage of fantasic performances with The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull and The King Of Comedy. Of course he have made a lot of more amazing performances, especially in Godfellas. But let´s talk about Robert De Niro in present day. We all know he can still do great performances, and he does still try to release smaller films. There are just some things that i have noticed, especially that he choose way too simple films for an actor on his level. How many of you remember Killing Season ? A film where he was hunted by John Travolta, with a serbian accent out of this world. It clearly showed that De Niro took some films just to get paid, i can´t imagine that he actually thought Killing Season was a good film. But between films like this one, De Niro have proved his acting skills. One of the best examples is a small film called Everybody´s Fine. This is a film not many people saw, but should be seen for two reasons. The cast is great, and the film have a charming story included. In more recent years there are 2 films where he really bloom out, Silver Lining´s Playbook and Joy. Let´s talk about another actor, who i have not been a big fan to. Zac Efron made his name big thanks to the High School Musical films. And he really made a fan base with the comedy 17 Again. I have seen some of his films, and he tried to make more serious films in recent years. But i have to say he managed to surprise me, in the Seth Rogen comedy Neighbors. Not a unique film in any way, just funny as a comedy. A sequel is coming out this year by the way, not sure if we wanted that. So here we are with a film, with De Niro and Zefron in the lead cast, a combination that is pretty odd. Is this combination better than expected, or is this another De Niro film way to simple for his acting skills ?

Jason Kelly ( Zac Efron ) is attending his grandmothers funeral. Jason used to be close to his grandfather Richard " Dick " Kelly ( Robert De Niro ), but they have drifted apart.  Mainly because of Jason´s new job as a corporate attorney. After the funeral, Richard have a request, that Jason can drive him down to Boca Raton, Florida. Jason is not sure if this is a good idea, considering he have to plan his wedding with his controlling fiancee Meredith Goldstein ( Julianne Hough ). But he change his mind, and agree to do so. While Meredith is planning their big day, Jason is about to find out grandfather Richard have a very special trip planned, and it is not included with bingo nights.

Let´s make one thing clear. If you choose to see Dirty Grandpa, do not expect to see De Niro make an oscar performance. You should know that this is a much more simple comedy, in some ways remind us of The Hangover. I can enjoy drunk comedies, if they deliver on a comedy level as the first Hangover film. And this is the problem with Dirty Grandpa, it tries to please the audience with dirty language and sexual content. But when you just make jokes about sex, and it does not give you anything back, you really don´t care about the concept. To see De Niro hit on college girls, feels in some ways a desperate try to make his career stay alive. And this is such a shame, De Niro is such a respected actor, and we all kow that he can deliver. But as a dirty grandfather who wants naked college girls, does not match his acting abilities. Zac Efron looks pretty much the same, as he have done in some of his films. I will say though that he fits better in this comedy genre, and he can be funny in some scenes. There is especially one scene, when he wakes on a beach, almost naked, and a kid walks up to him. I will not say what happens, but i actually did laugh at that scene. De Niro´s comedy scenes does not feel as funny, as they could have been with a better script. The road trip itself is pretty basic, and i would have enjoyed some unexpected turns along the way, like a cameo from a great actor. There is one scene where they visit Danny Glover, and i have to say i appreciated that. If they only could have done more scenes with Danny Glover, i think this would have been a more fun comedy. As it stands now, Dirty Grandpa feels like a very simple comedy, without any surprises. Director Dan Mazer is mostly known for being the co-writer for the comedy film Borat, and he also directed his feature debut film I Give It A Year. Even if i was not a big fan of his debut film, i would probably say that it was a bit more fun than Dirty Grandpa. These 2 films are very different, considering that I Give It A Year was more of a serious british comedy. I can understand what he was trying to do with Dirty Grandpa, mixing 2 very different actors in a vulgar comedy. The final results is still that there is no reason to care for the main characters. A few scenes are ok, but overall a film that fails to deliver entertainment. Bad Grandpa is pretty much a typical party comedy we have seen so many times before. Not awful, just too simple to care about.

Rating: DD