Back in 1999, Cinema gave us the you’ll-laugh-so hard-you’ll-cry, comedy “American Pie”. Now 19 years later, a film debuts with basically the same plot: lose virginity before graduating high school. The only difference here is that instead of a group of guys on a mission to do this, it’s a trio of girlfriends. “Blockers” gives audiences a film that is undeniably raunchy, sexual and most importantly: laugh out loud craziness.
Writer Kay Cannon directs the laugh fest. Cannon, who has previously written for “Pitch Perfect”, ups the comedic efforts and it goes without saying. The film is bright. It has many colorful scenes, (by colorful, I mean clever) jokes, innuendos and gags. Even though this film is about girls wanting to lose their virginity, their parents, who are also friends with one another, try and sabotage that. Playing the parents are: Leslie Mann, John Cena and Ike Barinholtz. The three go all out on humor. They offer one of 2018’s best in a comedic film.
Not only does this film offer humor, but the intertwined action is also a big success. Scenes of cars exploding and limousine parties all offer hilarity within. I do, however, have a minor issue with this film. A secondary character, a lesbian teen, has a crush on one of the three girls. Everytime the girl would show up on screen, I felt like this was just awkward and unnecessary. Drags the film on to be a like tedious. But, I rest my case.
“Juno” composer Mateo Messina bring ease to the film in regards to the severe laughter. Messina makes a genuinely soft and melodic composition of music that balances the film in between all the shenanigans.
This year has only yet to see more comedic films and this film shows the bigger picture in which they are funny, but also offer parental and child perspectives. A side of being sheltered. The other being, leaving the nest and gaining freedom and independence. This gives the film heart and this is something comedies don’t usually have.
Yes, it might be a little bit of a knock off of “American Pie”, but suffice to say this film may have a little more edgy humor than that of “American Pie”.
| Photo: Good Universe Films |
Rate:🍿🍿🍿🍿 4 Popcorn buckets out of 5
Malawski says: SEE IT!
Director: Kay Cannon
Starring: Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena
MPAA Rating R-(for crude and sexual content, and language throughout, drug content, teen partying, and some graphic nudity)
Runtime: 1 Hour & 42 Minutes
Synopsis: When three parents stumble upon their daughters' pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal. Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, This Is 40), Ike Barinholtz (Neighbors, Suicide Squad) and John Cena (Trainwreck, Sisters) star in Blockers, the directorial debut of Kay Cannon (writer of the Pitch Perfect series). The comedy is produced by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver, under their Point Grey Pictures banner (Neighbors, This Is the End), alongside Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg (Harold & Kumar series) and DMG Entertainment's Chris Fenton (47 Ronin). Good Universe's Nathan Kahane and Joseph Drake (Don't Breathe, Juno) executive produce with Chris Cowles (Collide) of DMG and Josh Fagen, Dave Stassen and Jonathan McCoy. The film is written by brothers Brian & Jim Kehoe, Hurwitz & Schlossberg and Eben Russell.
