Johnny Knoxville has huge balls. And no, that isn't just referring to the prosthetic ones that hang out of his old man briefs at the most inopportune times during Bad Grandpa. Maybe it's the salt-of-the-earth Midwestern hospitality that the heart of America is known for, or maybe it's the added security offered by a tiny camera hidden behind every corner, but how Knoxville makes it through the film's 92 minute runtime without a single punch in the face is anyone's guess. Extremely lewd and incredibly crass, Bad Grandpa is also a welcome divergence from the growing rumblings of Oscar panhandlers, delivering a juvenile, unrestrained, but very funny blend of Borat and Jackass that makes for the perfect cinema experience with the right crowd.
Knoxville gets back in the wrinkly skin and modest clothes of his alter ego Irving Zisman, tasked with driving mischievous – or maybe just highly impressionable? – grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) across the country to be reunited with his dirt bag father Chuck (Greg Harris). A razor-thin plot paves the way for the film's real drawcard: an endless supply of set-up gags victimising wedding guests, fast food workers, funeral mourners and pageant show mums, just to name a few.
What's lost in all the gross-out humour and slapstick skits is just how well Knoxville can pick his spots. He clearly relishes the role of Zisman, which gives him the chance to not only show his wares as an experienced character actor, but milk every situation for the best response possible. You're left in a sort of dumbstruck awe by the end, wondering just how he managed to convince a group of black choir singers to join in a rendition of 'I've got the Joy' moments after his deceased wife tumbled out of her casket, or why a pair of friendly but thick removalists agreed to load said deceased wife into the boot of Irvin's car.
The whole experience is tinged with a blot of social critique, but importantly keeps the laughs coming in perhaps the most consistently funny film of 2013. Fans of Knoxville's prior shenanigans will feel like they're seeing an old friend during the credits, sure to get a kick out of the outtakes he shares with the rest of the Jackass frat pack.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*
Knoxville gets back in the wrinkly skin and modest clothes of his alter ego Irving Zisman, tasked with driving mischievous – or maybe just highly impressionable? – grandson Billy (Jackson Nicoll) across the country to be reunited with his dirt bag father Chuck (Greg Harris). A razor-thin plot paves the way for the film's real drawcard: an endless supply of set-up gags victimising wedding guests, fast food workers, funeral mourners and pageant show mums, just to name a few.
What's lost in all the gross-out humour and slapstick skits is just how well Knoxville can pick his spots. He clearly relishes the role of Zisman, which gives him the chance to not only show his wares as an experienced character actor, but milk every situation for the best response possible. You're left in a sort of dumbstruck awe by the end, wondering just how he managed to convince a group of black choir singers to join in a rendition of 'I've got the Joy' moments after his deceased wife tumbled out of her casket, or why a pair of friendly but thick removalists agreed to load said deceased wife into the boot of Irvin's car.
The whole experience is tinged with a blot of social critique, but importantly keeps the laughs coming in perhaps the most consistently funny film of 2013. Fans of Knoxville's prior shenanigans will feel like they're seeing an old friend during the credits, sure to get a kick out of the outtakes he shares with the rest of the Jackass frat pack.
*There's nothing I love more than a bit of feedback, good or bad. So drop me a line on jnatsis@iprimus.com.au and let me know what you thought of my review. If you're looking for a writer for your movie website or other publication, I'd also love to hear from you.*