Sometimes bad movies are really fun to watch. And sometimes we as audience interpret simple as a bad thing. The new family comedy The War with Grandpa exemplifies both of these qualities. It’s simple and shallow, but it’s not bad at all. It's also a lot of fun.
The basic premise is Ed (Robert De Niro) moves with his daughter (Uma Thurman) and her family. But when he moves into his grandson Peter’s (Oakes Fegley) room, he declares a prank war to decide who gets the room. But things get interesting when Ed and Peter’s friends get involved in the silliness of their feud.
The War with Grandpa doesn’t have a lot of details to its plot. A large majority of the film is vignette like jokes and short cutaway scenes that show the antics of kids arguing at school, seniors begrudging them being sidelined by younger friends and relatives. One especially memorable bit finds Christopher Walken riding a hoverboard.
De Niro has made a lot of trashy comedies in the last 10 years (Dirty Grandpa, The Big Wedding and New Year’s Eve) but his grandpa character here is incredibly grounded. The film is surprisingly charming despite its cheapness, even though this is as rudimentary as a movie can get.
The biggest problem is that sixth grader Peter is an obnoxious, self-centred kid. A lot of his pranks aren’t funny; they’re actually rather mean, and often seriously injure people he loves. Fegley’s performance doesn’t shy away from how upset Peter is he lost his bedroom, but being angsty doesn’t make him funny.
Even though this is close to what actual conversations would sound like in your family’s home, it’s a terrible movie script. There could’ve been a better balance between reality and exaggerated entertainment.
Yet these aren’t insincere. Rather the opposite; these aren’t cheap, vindictive shots. Despite the dialogue and story’s simplicity, it’s easy viewing. More than half of the film are ordinary conversations that amount to nothing, but the actors are having fun. It’s even fun enough to forgive the worst Sky Zone Trampoline Park scene since A Bad Moms Christmas.
And ultimately, it’s fun to watch because the characters don’t really hate each other. “I love you,” Peter says while laughing, “but the war is still on.” Giggle-worthy delights are short and shallow, but they also made me giggle for 90 minutes nonstop. Jokes with foam sealant and a snake were my personal favourites.
For a film with three Oscar-winners and a shocking amount of talent, much of that talent is underused. But what’s wrong with simple? The War with Grandpa is sweeter and nicer than it has any business being. It also has a crude yet clear message that fighting hurts, and there’s a better way of handling things.
I love being surprised, and there is no depth or cinematic excellent here. But I was delightfully surprised by how much I enjoyed watching it. If your family is looking for an easy escape and a fun time, this is a great Thanksgiving weekend outing.
The War with Grandpa
5 out of 10
PG, 1hrs 34mins. Family Comedy.
Directed by Tim Hill.
Starring Robert De Niro, Oakes Fegley, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Laura Marano and Christopher Walken.
Now playing at Film.Ca Cinemas, Cineplex Winston Churchill, Cineplex Oakville and 5 Drive-In.
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