12 FILM
guestlist.net
Issue 57 / 2013
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V
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BAD GRANDPA
From the makers of Jackass, comes a film that will make
you laugh out loud and regret you hadn't gone to the toilet
beforehand
When Bad Grandpa was released, the first thing I
thought was 'it's going to be just another Jackass
film'. Don't get me wrong, I quite like the Jackass films, however to me they're the kind of films
you'd always put on in the background and not
something you'd necessarily sit down to watch.
So when I saw Bad Grandpa, I was pleasantly
surprised. Admittedly, I expected just a run of
real life sketches in the hope to get a reaction
from the public around them, and, to a certain
extent, that's what this film was. On the other
hand, unlike the Jackass films, Bad Grandpa had
a plot which played throughout the film. Without
giving away too many spoilers, the plot is how a
child (Billy) has to do stay with his Father (Chuck)
due to the fact that his Mum (Kimmie) is going to
jail for drugs, and the only person who can take
him is his newly widowed Grandfather (Irving).
The film follows what the pair get up to on the
road trip. The trip is filled with pranks made to
cause a shock reaction to the general public who
perceive them. Irving is the perfect example of
the kind of person you don't want coming into
your place of work, however, it's quite interesting
to see how ordinary people react in these bizarre
situations. For example, there is one scene where
Irving tries to post Billy off to his dad inside a
box, the people at the post office just look really
baffled and try to explain how you can't do that.
The role of the Bad Grandpa is played by Johnny Knoxville, with son played by Jackson Nicholl. Knoxville is unsurprisingly perfect for this
role, with his inability to embarrass and enough
balls to do anything suggested. Nicholls is a less
known actor but he is just as good if not better
than Knoxville. For a child, he has impeccable
comedic timing and being so young he is able
to get away with almost anything he throws at
the public.
Although being made by the same people as
Jackass, and despite having Jackass present at
the start, this is definitely a standalone film. One
of the best things about this film is the fact that
it's not just a run of meaningless sketches as part
of the story line you get to see a softer side to
Irving at the end of the film and a little message
is learned, which is quite refreshing coming from
a film like this. Quick tip, make sure you stay past
the credits as it is packed with hidden extras.
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