Movie Review: Good Boys
What We Liked
What We Didn't Like
The oft used saying “Boys will be boys” couldn’t be more true than it is in the raunchy, new tween comedy Good Boys. Since National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978) and Porky’s (1981) the hard-R comedy has been a right-of-passage for youths, but it’s been over five years since one has reached $100M in box-office revenue. Will this Seth Rogen-produced film be the one that reverses the trend and joins four other movies he has produced that exceeded this magical number? Good Boys puts forth its best effort by paying homage to a number of classic coming-of-age films including an opening scene reminiscent of the comedy classic American Pie (1991) in this Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) meets Superbad (2007) end-of-summer flick, but the film may find that it doesn’t have enough gas to make it to the top.
After being invited to a kissing party, sixth-graders Lucas (Keith L. Williams), Max (Jacob Tremblay), and Thor (Brady Noon) realize that they need to learn how to kiss a girl before classmate Soren’s (Izaac Wang) soirée or face the inevitable social ostracizing. So, who better to learn from than teen neighbor Hannah (Molly Gordon), who Max has personally witnessed kissing her boyfriend on numerous occasions. Reality sets in, however, and the boys quickly realize that the only way they can spy on Hannah is by using Max’s father’s cherished drone. Hijinks ensue after Hannah and her friend capture the drone and the boys resort to stealing Hannah’s purse which, unbeknownst to them, contains her stash of the party drug Molly. The world’s most awkward drug exchange then goes awry and leads the boys on an adventure to return the aforementioned drone before Max’s dad gets home, as well as for the three of them learning how to kiss before the party.
Self-branded as “Bean Bag Boys For Life,” it is hard not to fall for these kind, innocent pre-pubescent kids who simply want to be wiser than their age, but aren’t quite ready for the reality that comes with such wisdom — their naiveté with regards to pregnancy, porn, and sex toys is both adorable and believable. With the internet, social media, and the news forcing children to grow up faster than ever, it is refreshing to see kids being turned off by X-rated films and not recognizing that certain toys for adults are not actually weapons (or for CPR use). Combine that with the boys’ belief that the three of them will be friends forever and you have a heartwarming story of friendship.
Brady Noon, Jacob Tremblay, and Keith L. Williams in “Good Boys.”
Good Boys also earns points for its relevancy in today’s world by effectively tackling a number of socially conscious issues with humor including the #metoo movement and bullying. But, while the film includes its fair share of laugh out loud moments, most of the best laughs were spoiled by the pre-release trailers. Director and writer Gene Stupnitsky’s script also fails to capitalize on the boys’ battle with Hannah and her friend allowing that plot line to peter out towards the film’s conclusion.
Today and possibly years into the future, Good Boys could be the film that every middle school student wants to see, but parents be warned, the subject matter is certainly not wholly suitable for tweens!
Mark Eaton
