BLOCKERS

(director: Kay Cannon; screenwriter: Brian Kehoe, Jim Kehoe, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Eben Russell; cinematographer: Russ T. Alsobrook; editor: Stacey Schroeder; music: Mateo Messina; cast: Leslie Mann (Lisa), John Cena (Mitchell), Ike Baringholtz (Hunter), Ramona Young (Angelica), Kathryn Newton (Julie), Gideon Adlon (Sam), Geraldine Viswanathan (Kayla), Sarayu Blue (Marcie-wife of Cena), Graham Phillips (Austin), Miles Roberts (Connor), Jimmy Bellinger (Chad); Runtime: 102; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Chris Fenton; Universal Pictures; 2018)

“A bearable bawdy pro-feminist comedy, even if it had no emotional impact on me and the comedy rushed by me as it makes its way to its target audience.

“Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A prom-night sex farce that debuting director Kay Cannon, writer of Pitch Perfect, fills with both physical comedy and zingers (such as ‘Penises are not for looking at; they’re for use. Like plungers’). It’s co-written by the Kehoe brothers (Brian & Jim), Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Eben Russell.Three best friends since kindergarten, the Chicago high school senior girls–the golden girl Julie (Kathryn Newton), the athletic Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and the closet gay Sam (Gideon Adlon), have made a pact to lose their virginity on prom night. Lisa (Leslie Mann) is the clingy single mom of Julie; Hunter (Ike Baringholtz) is the smarmy, unfaithful, divorced wise-cracking dad of Sam and the cuddly cry-baby jock father of Kayla is Mitchell (John Cena). All join forces to stop this nonsense sex pact from happening no matter what the cost, as some ridiculous rescue attempts are made by the over-protective blockers.

We learn that Julie digs her boyfriend Austin (Graham Phillips), that Kayla can handle her charmer prom date, Connor (Miles Robbins, son of Tim), who is known as “the chef” for cooking up drugs. Meanwhile the shy Sam, on the verge of coming out, has no problems with her geeky Fedora wearing date, Chad (Jimmy Bellinger). Her main concern is winning over her sapphic sweetie Angelica (Ramona Young). It sounds like a bad sitcom film (and probably is in different hands), but when executed by this capable gross-out comedy crew of both men and women, it becomes a bearable bawdy pro-feminist comedy, even if it had no emotional impact on me and the comedy rushed by me as it makes its way to its target audience.

REVIEWED ON 12/1/2018 GRADE: B-