Ulimtately, The War with Grandpa is another middling family-comedy wherein every plot beat can be seen coming from ten miles away and a lot of talented actors get a moment to relax with some easy work. It makes you wonder how she would do with a juicy camp role in the Ryan Murphy universe. Sally Decker seems constantly on the verge of a violent breakdown and it’s oddly fascinating to watch, like a cross between Kill Bill’s The Bride and Kathleen Turner in Serial Mom. ![]() Saddled with a thankless beleaguered mother role, Thurman decides to play this part as demented as she can manage. The surprise standout however, is Uma Thurman. De Niro is charming and just grouchy enough, he has a sweet chemistry with Jane Seymour, and I could watch Walken on a trampoline for days. It’s not exactly The Deer Hunter reunion one could have hoped for, but it does make you want to see this trio in something much looser and weirder.Īll in all, the adult actors are actually trying here. Walken is in full Walken mode here, that wonderful and oft-imitated mix of utter bemusement and used car salesman charm. The moment it’s revealed that De Niro’s best friends are being played by Cheech Marin and Christopher Walken, I must admit that I did cackle. There are glimmers of humor and chuckle-worthy moments. ![]() It’s more that we’ve seen this plot and this character done so many times and with scripts that give the central kid more to do than metaphorically throw his toys out of the pram. This is no knock against Oakes Fegley, who is a talented young actor with a bright future ahead of him. Sure, I get why a young boy would be mad at having his bedroom taken away from him, but any sympathy the viewer has with him ends there. All he does is complain and perform ‘pranks’ that make me seriously concerned for his future. The main problem is that Peter is defined entirely by his whining. They’re all here: Swapping out shaving cream for Polyfilla putting hot sauce in the coffee systemic gaslighting on par with a gothic horror from the 1800s. Yup, it’s another story about the importance of family and how a young man and the (grand)father figure in his life grow closer after initial animosity and some hilarious Home Alone-style hijinks. You know exactly what this movie is going to do by the time the opening credits are over. Of course, grandpa knows a few tricks of his own. Forced to live in the attic, Peter decides to go to war against his grandfather through a series of pranks that position him somewhere between a petulant brat and a potential serial killer. Unfortunately for his grandson Peter (Oakes Fegley from Pete’s Dragon and The Goldfinch), the only room available for grandpa to stay in is his. De Niro plays the eponymous grandpa, Ed, a widower who gets into so much trouble living alone that his daughter (Uma Thurman) insists that he move in with her family. It’s the kind of fluffy family movie you’d see on TV on a rainy Sunday afternoon when you don’t have enough energy to get off the couch and put on a DVD of something more exceptional. The War with Grandpa, the newest De Niro movie, is more forgettable fluff than outright offensive. Hey, dude’s got a divorce, a restaurant, and a whole dang film festival to pay for. Still, De Niro has evolved into a jobbing actor who moves from gig to gig with ease, even if the work isn’t great. I’m not sure we’ll see Dirty Grandpa mentioned in any lifetime achievement montages. Then again, the past two decades of De Niro’s career has been a, shall we say, eclectic mix of projects, many of which didn’t really cut the mustard. ![]() When you’re the two-time Oscar winner with legendary films like Taxi Driver, The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas on your resume, doing anything less than an outright masterpiece can’t help but seem disappointing. ![]() Carrying the lofty weight of the label ‘Hollywood’s greatest actor’ must be a tiring load to live with. Here is a unique look at the benefits and privileges you get to experience by being a grandparent.Bless you, Robert De Niro. One Sweet Day – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men Here is a look at the best songs for grandparents slideshow to keep you encouraged.īetter When We’re Together – Jack Johnson From keeping children safe to spoiling them with toys and treats, it is always a good time to celebrate being a grandparent. As an extension to the mother and father themselves, grandparents play an important part of any family. Grandparents are a special part of any family.
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