Tag Archives: robert de niro

Dirty Grandpa

comedy, movies, , , , , , , ,

TWF_BD_3DSkew copyI didn’t laugh out loud while watching the unrated version of Dirty Grandpa starring Oscar winner Robert De Niro and Zac Efron. Directed by Dan Mazer, the two characters played by De Niro and Efron take a spring break and go on the road. I viewed the Blu-ray version, which is supposed to be much dirtier than the other versions.  The movie also stars Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough, Jason Mantzoukas, Danny Glover, and Dermot Mulroney. The cast is great but the directing and storyline is where my praising stops.

The idea of the story is behaving badly has never felt so good. There is nothing wrong with getting down and dirtier in funny, vulgar way. Efron plays Jason, a straight, clean cut man. He is a couple of weeks away from marrying his boss’s daughter. But everything changes when Jason’s talked into driving his foul-mouthed, free-living granddad named Dick Kelly, played by De Niro, to Florida for spring break. Jason is thrown into a series of frat parties, bar fights, and epic misdeeds on a road trip that surprisingly, eventually bonds the two men.

The Blu-ray has some awesome featurettes if you love the low-down vulgarity of this movie. They are called “The Filthy Truth: The Making of Dirty Grandpa,”Lessons in Seduction,”I Got Nothin’ to Hide: A Look at Daytona’s Most Vibrant Drug Dealer,” and “Daytona Heat.”  There is even a gag reel that I thought was pretty funny.

The situation of the story is nothing new where they are at Grandma’s funeral. Dick Kelly asks his grandson to drive him to Florida from Atlanta. He wavers because he is a responsible corporate lawyer and is getting married to Meridith, played by Hough, in a couple of weeks. He decides to go, and while n the road he discovers that his grandpa has a few vices. The movie is more humorous compared to other teen sex comedies of late but the gratuitous nudity is not necessary.

The Lionsgate sent me a promotional package of an evidence bag containing a Pill bottle filled with “Dick’s Little Helpers,” jelly beans, bikini top, condom, and a cocktail list. All this has to do with the storyline, making fun of what happens in the movie.

I know some of you will like the movie and some of you will not. That is because it is a bad-mannered movie with too much T. A.

Heist

action, drama, movies, police drama, , ,

HeistDirected by Scott Mann, Heist follows Lucas Vaughn, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who works at the Swan Casino. The casino is owned by Mafia-Boss Francis ”Pope” Silva, played brilliantly by Robert De Niro. Luke’s young daughter is hospitalized, and is seriously ill in need of expensive treatment. The real problem lays in the fact that Luke did not keep up the Medical-Insurance payments. His daughter may not be cared for with the correct treatments if he doesn’t pay the medical costs. Luke asks his old friend and employer if he could help him out with a loan. The employer says “No Favors.”

Along comes fellow employee Cox, played by Dave Bautista, who plans to rob his employer and wants the knowledge Luke has to help pull off the heist. Cox knows Luke has worked there for many years and has the knowledge he needs. Helping Cox is the only way Luke can pay the medical costs, so he agrees to be a part of the heist to save his daughter’s life. He has his own ideas on how the heist should go, and the plan seems to work until security is alerted.

Gunfire ensues as they make a getaway in a bus with hostages. Now, they are pursued by the police. With Cox crazed and ready to kill a victim to getaway, Luke tries to keep things under control. The bus is being chased by both Pope’s bodyguards and the police.  Pope is interested in getting the money back before the police make an arrest because the money belongs to the mob, which the casino laundered.

Luke strikes up a rapport with one of the police officers named Kris, played by MMA’s fame Gina Carano. She soon understands Luke is the link to freeing the passengers on the bus without harm.

The whole situation gets very intense before it comes to an end. The movie is well worth the watch because the story is really good, and the acting matches the spirit of the movie. I recommend you catch it on demand or rent it.