Movie review: ‘Dirty Grandpa’

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Here’s another one of those “how did I miss this?” movies. “Dirty Grandpa” – Robert De Niro’s; not to be confused with Johnny Knoxville’s of a similar name – isn’t as fall-down funny as “We’re the Millers” as I originally wrote, but it’s in the same ballpark. Much to my chagrin as a connoisseur of raunchy, R-rated comedy, I didn’t notice when “Dirty Grandpa” had its premiere. I just caught up with it and it will probably be the only movie from 2016 that I will review – I like reviewing older films, but I just can’t resist doing “Dirty Grandpa.” Don’t worry … there’s something to offend virtually everyone here and a big thumbs-up to De Niro and co-star Zac Efron as there couldn’t have been better casting in creating this film. Unfortunately, I gave it too much credit in my original review, but have now reconsidered a few things …

‘Dirty Grandpa’
(2016; 102 minutes; rated R; directed by Dan Mazer and starring Robert De Niro, Zac Efron and Zoey Deutch)

 ‘DIRTY GRANDPA’ IS RATED … OMG!

(NOTE: I rewrote this review on Aug. 7, 2016, after another viewing of “Dirty Grandpa.” In all of my reviews, I’ve never revisited a review completely. I’ve expanded reviews and added or updated links, but today I’m changing the complete tenor of my original review. Sorry about the original … it was just a bit off. I expanded the review on Jan. 25, 2024.)

I used to send movies on DVD to my 81-year-old father-in-law. He wouldn’t go out and get them if left to it himself and it’s a nice connection for us. One film I sent him was “The Heat” where, he later noted to complete family hilarity, that he “didn’t know someone could say f*** so many times.” So, I didn’t send him “Dirty Grandpa” from earlier this year and just out on video because all I can say about it is OMG! It’s not great comedy, but … OMG!

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You find yourself saying, OMG is this funny! Or, OMG I can’t believe Robert De Niro just said that. Or, OMG I can’t believe Zac Efron did that. All the OMGs start early, even before De Niro’s disgusting Queen Latifah line very early in the film. The film moves on from sexual comments to drugs to swastikas made of … oh, well. You get the idea. Unfortunately, “Dirty Grandpa” cannot keep up the furious pace of raunch. It begins to slow quickly and by the end you’re pretty much glad it’s over since the filmmakers obviously didn’t know how to bring this one into dock very well.

“Dirty Grandpa” is an OMG movie, but it’s nowhere near the equal of “We’re the Millers” from 2013, which was nearly as funny as “The Hangover” from 2009. Both of those were successors to the astoundingly funny “American Pie” (and not the dregs of its sequels, much like “The Hangover” – click here to read my review about that franchise). I originally put it in such rarified air, but upon another viewing have to dial back my enthusiasm a bit. Finally, I never should have ever mentioned it being in the same ballpark as “Animal House” and “Porky’s” (click here for my review of the latter) since “Dirty Grandpa” comes up short in the end.

The best thing going is that “Dirty Grandpa” is creatively funny and has great acting. It easily overcomes stereotypes that nearly always doom raunchy comedies since the genre became hyper-popular in the late 1970s. It overcomes the “old guy-young guy thing;” it overcomes the “road trip thing” (click here for my review of the wonderfully raunchy “Road Trip” film); it overcomes the “guy is engaged to a bitch thing” (see “The Hangover”); but mostly it overcomes the “grandpa curses (a lot) thing.” He does, but it’s not forced. Plus, it’s also great having De Niro say the most astoundingly un-politically correct things that leave you on the floor. Then you get to Efron.

Of course, “Dirty Grandpa” needs a serious component and it has one. De Niro and Efron bond as the true story of the road trip comes out (you’ll have to watch for yourself). The only second-rate component (besides one supporting actor I’ll mention later) is a chase at the end of the film and that you find out over the last half that it doesn’t really work any more. However, you should forgive it.

To be specific, “Dirty Grandpa” has a final bit of weakness in the end. It’s like a marathon runner strong until the last mile. “Dirty Grandpa’s” climax (no pun intended) is a bit strained (no pun intended again) and looks as if the filmmakers took a shortcut to the final credits.

The most impressive thing is how it showcases both young(er) and old. De Niro is, well, De Niro and you know how great he is, but it also lets co-star Efron show his acting chops – and Efron’s really solid playing straight man to De Niro. It also gives time to wonderful young(er) actors such as Zoey Deutch, Aubrey Plaza, Julianne Hough, Jason Mantzoukas and Jeffrey Boywer-Chapman. As for the only discordant note in the cast, as I’ve already written, I’ll get to him later in this review.

What can I say? I like “Dirty Grandpa.”

In a nutshell, here’s the plot: De Niro’s wife has just passed and after her funeral he asks his grandson (Efron) to drive him from his home in Georgia to Boca Raton in Florida. Efron is about to be married and has to be back home quickly to continue planning the wedding, but, well, it becomes a road trip that takes a detour in Daytona Beach for spring break. Then the plot begins to evolve to its underlying story of the whole road trip thing. The film winds up with a happy ending with a bundle of joy in an unexpected quarter.

So, let’s look at “Dirty Grandpa” by reviewing some of the principal cast:

  • De Niro plays “Richard ‘Dick’ Kelly” and I was totally surprised by how good he could be in this kind of comedy. After all, he’s won two Oscars and nominated for five others (not for this one) and those are all for dramas. He knocks out his profane humor with aplomb and I’m sure Rodney Dangerfield, Richard Pryor and other comics are looking down with approval. De Niro’s physical effort is subtle but effective and you don’t even realize just how much he can elevate a scene with a gesture or look. When it became time to be serious, he changes gears as smoothly as a Formula One driver. I cannot even begin to list his CV, it’s just too extensive. Let’s just say I liked him best in “The Deer Hunter,” which is the powerful multiple Oscar-winning Vietnam war saga that earned him a leading actor nomination.
  • I was also totally surprised how much I like Efron here “Jason Kelly.” As one of the young(er) wave of Hollywood stars, Efron isn’t much on my radar. In fact, this is the first film of Efron’s that I’ve watched (no, I didn’t see “High School Musical” or “17 Again” and I didn’t realize he was in the remake of “Hairspray” until I did research for this review) nor have I watched “Neighbors” at this time. He is really solid here and this is a near-top of resume for him to this point in his career. He also did nice comedic work in the movie version of “Baywatch” with Dwayne Johnson (click here to read my review).
  • Right up there with Efron is Deutch as “Shadia,” who is Efron’s former love interest and the girl he should have been with all along. Deutch is solid here and it’s especially gratifying since she’s young (21) and how well she conveys her character. Deutch, who already has 16 credits since her debut on TV’s “NCIS” in 2011, does the right amount of affability to go with a touch of endearing to make this one a very passing grade. She’s also been in “Beautiful Creatures” and “Everybody Wants Some!!”
  • Jason Mantouzakas is the most over-the-top actor after De Niro here. He plays “Tan Pam” and becomes the Florida heart, soul and, well, the drug dealer here. He has a wonderful time with the part and overplays it magnificently – actually, plays it right to the point you believe he’s overplaying it … but he’s not. Mantouzakas has been in “Neighbors” with Efron and did wonderful TV including “Parks and Recreation.”
  • Plaza, another “Parks and Recreation” alumnus, plays the sexually aggressive “Lenore” who’s looking to have sex with … well, you’ll find out. Plaza is as smooth in her character as Deutch and manages to steal several scenes away from the headliners. If there’s a sequel (what do I mean if … there will be one, for sure), Plaza has the ability to take over the whole thing. I would have liked to see more of her here. Plaza has also been in “Addicted to Fresno,” voiced in “Monsters University” and her 62 credits include TV such as “Criminal Minds” and “Portlandia.”

Ah well, there are others in the cast who do a good job in supporting roles (especially Boywer-Chapman), but there’s not enough screen time for any one of them to have developed his or her own stand-out identity in the film.

The most discordant note here is that filmmakers made the miserable mistake of putting Danny Glover in as De Niro’s former Army buddy “Stinky.” Well, the character’s name is apt to Glover here – he stinks – and I guess someone owed him a favor and gave the part to him. It’s a small part and essentially could have been given to any actor over the age of 60 and they would have done a better job. Glover, whose strident politically-correct politics is vastly annoying, has been in … ah, who cares. I don’t and his scene should have been left on the cutting room floor.

By the way, don’t confuse “Dirty Grandpa” with “Jackass” Johnny Knoxville’s “Bad Grandpa.” I appreciate Knoxville’s talent but I’m not a big fan of the body of his work (with the exception of him being outstanding in both “Big Trouble” – click here to read my review – and “The Dukes of Hazzard” – click here to read my review).

So, if you can take brutal, profane language, then “Dirty Grandpa” is good for you. I know it was good for me.

It’s impossible to rank where “Dirty Grandpa” will be at the end of 2016 in ticket sales, but, as of the writing of this review (June 7, 2016), it is in 25th place with $35.5 million in sales, according to Box Office Mojo. It was made on a budget of $11.5 million and its worldwide take today stands at $99.7 million, according to Wiki. It’s sad, but even crapfest films like “Alice Through the Looking Glass” and “Money Monster” have done better at the box office. Sigh. Oh, well, the funniest can’t always earn the most money. As of today, the year’s No. 1 film is “Captain America: Civil War” and its $383.4 million is more than 10 times the bank of “Dirty Grandpa.”

UPDATE: “Dirty Grandpa” wound up 81st at the box office in 2016 with the same $35.5 million in ticket sales that it had on June 7, according to Box Office Mojo. The No. 1 film was “Finding Dory” with $486.2 million; “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was No. 2 with $408.2 million; and “Captain America: Civil War” wound up third with $408 million. Here are the movies from 2016 that I’ve reviewed:

NOTE: In my original review, I used the current tense to describe sending DVDs to my father-in-law because I was sending them to him in 2016. For the 2024 expansion of the review, I changed it to the past tense because he has since passed from the original posting of the review.

Assorted cast and film notes (via IMDb.com):

  • Plaza plays a 21-year-old college student and was 31 at the time the film was released.
  • Talk about a “Thank God” moment for casting: It would have been a shame if the original idea for casting Michael Douglas and Jeff Bridges in the roles and come to pass. “Thank God” it didn’t happen. It would have been a disaster for the audience.
  • Directly from IMDb.com: “For the film’s theatrical poster, Robert De Niro lifted Zac Efron on his back without any help. Efron confirmed it while promoting the film on Instagram.”
  • Finally and directly from IMDb.com: “Zac Efron character uses a Nikon D3300 in the movie.”

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