The title alone let’s you know what to expect in this sex comedy aimed squarely at a young adult male audience. If you go along expecting anything other than what you get, then more fool you.
Like the classic British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, role reversal is what separates this film from others of a similar ilk. Hunky young lawyer Jason (Zac Efron) is the conservative fallguy for his recently widowed grandfather (Robert De Niro), who is trying to live up to his name, Dick. You get the picture.
There’s hot chicks in bikinis, close ups of arses and muscled dudes flexing. The girls are the objects of lust and the guys are the cavemen out to get them… or at least one guy is and he’s a Dirty Grandpa.
Behind the obvious shenanigans and a collection of clichéd and unbelieveable characters however, there’s genuine comedy and quite a nice story about family bonds. Don’t expect any onrush of Disney moments, but those momentary heartfelt bits work to give some context to why Dick is determined to rise to every possible occasion.
Throwing political correctness out the window and setting the women’s movement back a few decades is what this film does best, but it does it surprisingly well, delivering a lot of unexpected laughs as it zips through the generational roadtrip of the two protagonists. It’s not too offensive for most punters – although films of this kind will always disgust some – and, if not for Efron’s ample screentime with his shirt off, this wouldn’t be a film to see with your girlfriend. It’s a mates movie that’s sure to please 15-25 year old lads primarily. That said, this grandpa also laughed aloud frequently, perhaps relating to my own years ahead.
De Niro and Efron make a believable team with great screen chemistry. Former tough guy De Niro shines particularly brightly in the first truly outrageous role I’ve seen him in. The mighty have not fallen, but found a new niche that continues to prove why he’s considered one the greatest modern actors of our day. To unashamedly turn such a charicature into a believable and loveable rogue is a thing to cringingly behold.
Written by John Phillips and directed by Dan Mazer, Dirty Grandpa delivers what it promises and hits the bullseye for its target audience.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 7
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