I appreciate how Robert De Niro brings the same intensity and seriousness to a role whether he is “painting houses” in The Irishman or battling a 6th grader in a family comedy. He doesn’t shy away from the silly slapstick and octogenarian ramblings. Instead he seems to embrace it, and delivers the lines as if gunning for an Oscar nominated performance. It is that conviction that makes THE WAR WITH GRANDPA a film for adults to enjoy as well as the middle schoolers in your home. (continued below)
The War with Grandpa (2020)
PG – for rude humor, language, and some thematic elements | 1h 34min | Comedy, Drama, Family |
Based on the award-winning book by Robert Kimmel Smith, The War with Grandpa is a hilarious family comedy featuring an all-star supporting cast: Christopher Walken, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Cheech Marin, Laura Marano and Jane Seymour.
(continued) When Ed (De Niro) has to move in with his daughter (Uma Thurman) and her family he ends up taking the bedroom from his grandson, Peter (Oakes Fegley). Peter is not happy about being relocated to the attic and declares war on gramps to reclaim his room. But don’t let the gray hair fool ya; Grandpa is not going down without a fight. This kid has no idea what he is in for.
The film works on a few levels with each geared toward a different age group. The pre-teens will rally behind Peter and his friends. Middle school is no joke, and along with the struggles at home it also touches on the problems Peter has at school. The are funny and lighthearted issues but to a 6th grader they are pretty serious. Peter’s friends help him in his quest allowing for a lot of banter and planning.
Older viewers may roll their eyes at the silly humor, but will find other elements to engage with. Like Peter with his friends, Ed has his own buddies to pal around with. Growing old is no joke either, and the conversations they have are heartfelt and relatable to those of us seeing the top of the hill. They are handled with humor and a wink as well. I am not sure most ten year olds will get the joke about why a pension should be attractive to younger women.. but I laughed.
Though the film splits a lot between generational appeal there is a lot in it for the whole family. There are many sweet moments and conversations that everyone will cling to. Ed’s wife passed away recently – which is one reason for the move – and the dialogue around that is handled well. It adds enough to give the film heart but quickly moves into some outlandish moment so that your younger viewers do not check out completely.
Another element that grounds this film is that even though Ed and Peter are “at war” they still love each other greatly. It is clear that this is not personal, it is territorial. As they draw up battle lines and rules of engagement they are serious, but respectful. Peter adores his Grandfather but when you are 11-years old you don’t have perspective yet. That room is a goal and mission. Ed too is not quite ready to roll over either. He has already had to give up is home. To give up the room easily is not going to happen. And family film or not, when Robert De Niro points a finger at you and says, “you better get ready”… brother, it still packs a punch.
The cast in this film is splendid and brings some heavy hitters that you might not expect to see in a PG rated family film. No offense to the genre but seldom do we have this many award winners throwing yogurt. It proves that you can have fun at any age and once you stop taking yourself, and your craft, so seriously it brings freedom to just play. No one is phoning it in here. They are embracing the roles and their season in life and that comes across on the screen as pure entertainment.
THE WAR WITH GRANDPA is rated PG. And that is fair. PG-13 would be a little much. If there was such a thing as PG-10 that would be a closer ballpark. There is nothing offensive at all but the conversations and attitude between 3rd and 6th grade feels much greater than three years. So you may flinch a handful of times at a word here and there but they pass quickly and the humor and heart far outlast the “old man” language.
I give it a strong B for a family film. It is a shame that theaters are not what they once were. This would be a fun family outing for sure. But still one to watch however you get the chance. I wasn’t sure what to expect and was prepared to cringe and groan more than I did. I actually found it to be quite entertaining. A lot of that is De Niro and his ability to deliver a role like none other.
About The Author
