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The War with Grandpa
(101 Studios/Brookdale Studios)
By Lucas Allen
Based on an award-winning book by Robert Kimmel Smith, “The War with Grandpa” is a family comedy that was filmed three years ago for the now-defunct Weinstein label. It’s great to see a film like this being released in theaters for families to enjoy together during the pandemic, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is merely a distraction for the younglings while their parents have other things to do. Not to mention, director Tim Hill has a “pedigree” in the genre, including films like “Muppets from Space” and “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties.”
Recently widowed Ed (Robert De Niro) is having trouble adjusting to living alone, and his daughter Sally (Uma Thurman) has him move into the home she shares with her husband Arthur (Rob Riggle) and her three kids. While the rest of the family, including teenager Mia (Laura Marano) and Christmas-obsessed younger sister Jenny (Poppy Gagnon), are happy to have their grandpa around, 12-year-old Peter (Oakes Fegley) is mad that he has to move up into the attic since his bedroom now belongs to Ed. His middle school friends suggest he go on a prank war with his grandpa to get him to move out. Meanwhile, Ed’s buddies Jerry (Christopher Walken) and Danny (Cheech Marin) believe it’s a great way to get back at his grandson.
Naturally, the pranks get more dangerous each day, affecting the twosome’s once-bonding relationship. There’s also a four-against-four battle of trampoline dodgeball between the kids and Ed, Jerry, Danny and Diane (Jane Seymour). Things come to a head during Jenny’s Christmas-themed birthday party, where the danger really goes up a notch.
Kids will likely have fun with it, but the grownups will have to steer clear from it by more than six feet. This is one of the laziest, ill-conceived, tone-deaf abominations to hit the silver screen, and forget trying to save theaters with it. It’s one of those plots that could’ve been solved in a short period of time, but they instead had to pile it on with more and more absurdity that it becomes unbearable. Not to mention, it’s filled to the brim with family comedy cliches and stale humor that it feels like the movie’s going on auto-pilot without steering into any proper direction. This kind of Hollywood manufacturing of kiddie films has to end at some point.
The writers seem to be under the impression that there are no long-term consequences to the characters’ actions. As far-fetched the plot is, there are too many moments that would’ve been more consequential in real life. It’s absolutely ridiculous that these moments were designed to be funny only they end up with irrational, face-palming behavior.
But the most baffling thing is why these respectable and legendary actors would stoop this low to be in this movie. With De Niro, it’s par for the course at this point. With this and “Dirty Grandpa,” he finds a way to remain as stoic and dignified as in his greatest performances while performing heinous acts of unfunny comedy. Then you have Seymour, Marin and Walken, who has not acted with De Niro since “The Deer Hunter,” who were definitely in this only for the paycheck. Both Thurman and Riggle, on the other hand, are decent, but the kid actors are simply below average and they don’t make sitting through this film any easier.
If 2020 represents everything wrong with the world, “The War with Grandpa” represents everything wrong with movies today. It’s a soulless, factory-produced product that doesn’t reflect any moral stance in the real world. Just stay home, watch whatever’s streaming, wait until 2021 when things start going back to normal, and you’ll be fine.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG (for rude humor, language, and some thematic elements)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 1 Star (Out of Four)
