The Sunday Mail
THERE was a time when Robert Anthony De Niro was synonymous with greatness.
For budding actors, being referred to as “the next De Niro” was the highest compliment one could receive from the critics.
Here was a guy who started off as an unaccredited extra in the forgotten French drama “Three Rooms in Manhattan” some 51 years ago, and went on to fashion a very impressive career.
Today De Niro has featured in over 100 films, including countless classics, and produced 31 flicks.
But as De Niro pushes 73, his career appears to have passed its apex and the only way now is down.
His latest offerings “The Intern” and most recently “Dirty Grandpa” are an insult to the immense talent that is Robert De Niro.
Don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed most of the 72-year-old’s sporadic dips into the comedy genre — “Analyze This” was refreshing and the his combo with Ben Stiller in “Meet the Parents” and “Meet The Fockers” hit the right spots.
However, the truth is no one goes to a De Niro flick to tickle their funny bones. You watch a De Niro movie to be mesmerised, moved and astonished by one of the greatest talents ever seen. Right up there with Al Pacino and the living legend we now simply call Mr Washington.
De Niro’s latest offering, “Dirty Grandpa”, is utter garbage!
“Dirty Grandpa” tells the story of a recently widowed Richard Kelly who hoodwinks his grandson Jason (Zach Efron) to escort him on a trip across the country back to his home.
It seems to have a story buried somewhere. But it struggles to rise above the needless profanity and excessive nudity.
I totally believe writer John M Phillips dropped the ball on this one by not getting deeper.
As far as slapstick goes, the film scores high marks in the gag reel, jokes and sexual innuendo department. The problem is that slapstick is largely one-dimensional. Think “American Pie” and just about everything the Wayans brothers have done.
De Niro’s brushes with comedy have benefited from top-notch comic talent around him. Whether it was Billy Crystal in “Analyze This” or Ben Stiller in “Meet The Parents”, De Niro was grounded with his toned down performance while the other comics did most of the heavy slapstick lifting.
And as far as such supporting acts go, Zach Efron is probably as bad as it gets. The guy doesn’t have a funny bone in his body.
Effron’s timing is terrible, his performance blunt, and his appeal is, well, he has no appeal beyond teen flicks like the “High School Musical” trilogy.
Audrey Plaza (Lenore), as talented and promising an actress as she is, couldn’t rescue this film.
I also found it insane that signed up Julianne Hough (Meredith) only to sideline her for huge chunks of the movie. This is like having Mr Washington as an extra.
The film’s saving grace is when De Niro raps Ice Cube’s timeless classic “Today Was A Good Day”, and having him debate whether or not to say the N–word. Now, that was comedy.
