OLD DADS
(director/writer: Bill Burr; screenwriter: Ben Tishler; cinematographer: Sean McElwee; editors: Adriaan van Zyl, Patrick J. Don Vito; music: Christopher Willis; cast: Bill Burr (Jack Kelly), Bokeem Woodbine (Mike Richards), Bobby Cannavale (Connor Brody), Katie Aselton (Leah Kelly), Reign Edwards (Britney), Rachel Harris (Dr. Lois Schmieckel-Turner ), Miles Robbins (Aspen Bell), C. Thomas Howell (Ed Cameron), Jackie Thon (Cara), Bruce Dern (Richie Jacobs); Runtime: 102; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Mike Bertolina, Bill Block, Bill Burr, Monica Levinson, Ben Tishler; Netflix; 2023)
“A vulgar and unfunny comedy.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A vulgar and unfunny comedy that’s directed, written and stars the cranky stand-up comedian Bill Burr, in his feature film debut. It’s co-written by Ben Tishler, as the writers meant it to be a crowd-pleaser for the non-discerning viewer looking for laughs in its uncouth politically incorrect take on the older Generation X dissing on the younger Millennial one.
Three 50-something friends, Jack Kelly (Bill Burr), Mike Richards (Bokeem Woodbine) and Connor Brody (Bobby Cannavale), are assholes who work and hang out together in LA. The crude dudes can’t stop saying fuck or calling ladies cunts (like they do to the loathsome educator excellently played by Rachel Harris). They still act like jerks as they did when they were juveniles.
Jack is the father of a 5-year-old son, and has a second child on the way with his wife Leah (Katie Aselton). He runs a sports jersey manufacturing business with his longtime pals Mike and Connor. Connor has a 5-year-old son and a pushy wife, Cara (Jackie Tohn). Mike is a divorcee with a much-younger girlfriend named Britney (Reign Edwards), who unexpectedly becomes pregnant.
They cannot comprehend how the world has changed from when they were young, like the change in parenting – and on the parents themselves – who now have different ideas on how to raise a child from those of the old farts.
The film for some strange reason veers from its main story-line to go off the reservation with some uninteresting subplots, such as the one about the guys regretting they sold their business and are subsequently fired by the new CEO (Miles Robbins), or on trying to track down during a car drive a hermit (C. Thomas Howell) living off the grid in the Palm Desert, or on Mike’s fear of commitment.
The comedy ends on a blatant false note, telling us Jack has an anger-management problem rather than just having an asshole problem.
I would avoid this tiresome and raunchy misfire.
REVIEWED ON 10/26/2023 GRADE: D