Blockers

Starring: Leslie Mann, John Cena, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan, Gideo Adlon, Ramona Young, Graham Phillips, Miles Robbins, Jimmy Bellinger, Gary Cole, Gina Gershon, Hannibal Burress
Directed by: Kay Cannon
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Three parents (Leslie Mann, John Cena, Ike Barinholtz) discover their daughters have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. They set out to prevent this from happening, at all costs.

Review:

Tim: Sometimes I feel bad about criticizing so many of the comedies that come out every year. I typically rate comedies lower than other genres. I've thought a lot about this- I really like comedies, so I don't think I am going into it with some bias that is clouding my judgment. I truly believe Hollywood just makes a lot of bad comedies. Fortunately, Blockers breaks that mold. Now, this isn't a great movie- it has too many of the typical comedy flaws for that. However, it's an entertaining, funny movie that touched on some surprisingly emotional themes. I had a good time watching this movie and consider it a success.

We've had so many "sex comedies" over the years. On first glance, it felt like this might have fallen into the trap of plodding down the same old role. Fortunately, there are some big differentiators here. The most obvious and intriguing one is that the premise of the movie pits three parents against their three daughters, all of whom want to lose their virginity on prom night. This is actually a brilliant set up- the parents are the "cock blockers" while their children are trying for the opposite. It sets up some of the film's best laughs and is a genuinely entertaining premise. However, the movie takes this one step further. There's actually some pretty thoughtful exploration here of what it means to be transitioning from a teenager into an adult, the role sex plays in relationships at those age, and how parents often expect something different from their children than they expected from themselves. I wasn't prepared for the subtlety or the poignancy of some of this. It's easy to dismiss this as yet another raunchy sex comedy, but it proves to have significantly more heart than expected. I also thought the movie did a good job of touching on both hetero and homosexual relationships and the similarities and differences between them in 2018.

Now, I need to stress that what I'm talking about here is subtle and it's easy to overlook. Please don't think this is a heartwarming family movie- it's an R rated comedy. One of the biggest gags involves John Cena "chugging" a beer into his rectum. There's certainly a lot of humorous vulgarity throughout the film. I actually did think this movie was funnier than the typical comedy we see. Sure, some of the jokes didn't quite land, but a higher percentage of them connect than expected. The movie tried to keep the gags somewhat realistic. Yes, the film stretches the ties of reality for a few of its laughs, but it never fully abandoned logic and reason (that's a big reason why I dislike so many comedies). This movie felt only slightly ridiculous, but it always felt like it could actually happen.

I do need to stress what a terrific job the casting department did. I wouldn't have thought to pair Leslie Mann, John Cena, and Ike Barinholtz together, but their chemistry is undeniable. Mann has played a number of these roles and she's always good in them. I loved that she got a meatier part than she usually does. She's a good actress and gave a strong, emotional performance here. Her scene in the hotel room at the end is one of the most emotional, funny moments of the film. When John Cena first started acting, I kind of rolled my eyes at him. I'm surprised to say I actually look forward to his movies now. He brings this goofy physicality to his roles. He's not afraid to laugh at himself. Cena had some of the funniest moments of the entire film and stole more than a few scenes. His acting has improved and I left this movie feeling quite impressed with him. I've always liked Ike Barinholtz- I think his comedic timing is impeccable and he has such a distinct comedy style. His character got a little annoying and maybe he could have shown a bit more restraint, but as a whole, Barinholtz makes us laugh and makes the movie better. The rest of the cast is solid- Kathryn Newton was definitely a standout, although Gideon Adlon probably gave the better performance. Geraldine Viswanathan was funny, but outside of a few big gags, she didn't have quite as much of an impact as the other two. The supporting cast featured some funny turns by Gary Cole and Gina Gershon. As a whole, the cast was quite funny.

I have to say, Blockers is a really entertaining comedy. I laughed multiple times throughout the film and generally enjoyed the movie. It doesn't do enough to really launch itself into the upper echelon of comedies, but it's a film I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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