"GRANDMA’S BOY"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Linda Cardellini as SAMANTHA Allen Covert as ALEX Peter Dante as DANTE Shirley Jones as GRACE Shirley Knight as BEA Joel David Moore as J.P. Kevin Nealon as MR. CHEEZLE Doris Roberts as GRANDMA LILLY Nick Swardson as JEFF Not Rated Studio: 20th Century Fox Directed by: Nicholaus Goossen Back to DVD Review Home |  |
People who know my tastes in movies understand that I am not your traditional critic. I don’t hang out at the art house theatres, and I love a big budget summer action film as much as the next guy. I also like a good wacky comedy as well.
When “Grandma’s Boy” came out this winter, I thought it got a bum rap. Of course, most of the critics hated it, but that’s no big surprise. I was one of the few that touted its extreme humor and understanding of the geek lifestlye.
Now, the film has hit DVD, available in both R-rated and unrated versions. Before you get too excited, realize that the unrated version doesn’t have any more boobies than the other. In fact, after watching both, I really didn’t notice the difference. Still, the original R-rated version was funny and extreme enough for me.
In my opinion, “Grandma’s Boy” came out in the theatres at the right time. While the Academy was trying to decide who was the best actor – Reese Witherspoon in “Walk the Line” or Felicity Huffman in “Transamerica” – I was laughing my butt off in a theatre watching Allen Covert pleasuring himself to an anatomically correct Lara Croft action figure.
The beauty of “Grandma’s Boy” is that it never takes itself seriously. It exists only to make us laugh. It’s not a great plot, and it’s not even great writing. However, there are parts of the film that are incredibly funny.
This film is going to do incredibly well on DVD, as most stoner comedies do. And while I’m not a fan of the stoner comedy (although I thought “Dude, Where’s My Car” was a thing of genius), I found plenty to laugh at in this movie.
The loose story tells the tale of a 35-year-old video game tester who is kicked out of his apartment after his roommate spent all their rent money on Filipino hookers. He’s forced to move in with his grandmother and her two elderly roommates. Meanwhile, at work, he has to deal with a sexy new boss and an annoying video game programmer. See what I mean about the story... It’s not exactly “Hamlet,” but it does the trick.
The DVD includes both versions of the film as well as two separate commentary tracks – one with the actors and the other with the director. Both are fun enough to listen to, but probably would be funnier to listen to if you’re stoned. Not a big surprise, I’m sure.
Also included on the DVD are several hilarious behind-the-scenes featurettes. While some films dote over their own movie by talking about how brilliant their special effects or costume design is, the people behind “Grandma’s Boy” take this opportunity to spotlight the kung fu monkey and explain how difficult it is for Allen Covert to “whack it” on camera.
There’s also a bunch of deleted scenes as well as a FOX Movie Channel special on casting the otherwise respectable Doris Roberts in the title role.
The strength of this movie is the low-brow humor. It’s what you’ve come to expect from the Happy Madison gang. It has everything you need to make one of these films, ignoring the studio desire for a PG-13 rating.
Specifications: Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (2.35:1). Spanish language track. Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.
