Blockers

Blockers is an interesting case-study in a comedy where you'd assume that it would be bad or forgettable. 

The cast, the prom-night sex pact, the teenage angst and drama; we've seen it all before. 

You'd really only be partially correct as a lot of Blockers IS stuff you've seen before. But there's also an element about the film that is somewhat unexpected in its approach and outcome that makes it better than one might have initially expected (before the positive reviews and word of mouth started circulating).

Truthfully, I'm not as much of a huge fan of Blockers as some other critics are for reasons I'll outline below, but it does earn its keep of being different enough to warrant its existence and its wonderful cast -- often side characters in other films -- get their chances to lead here and we'll likely see some more fun stuff from them (kids and adults alike) in the future. 

Though I do have one major complaint...all of the advertising states that John Cena is in this film and, for the life of me, I couldn't find him anywhere! 

For those unfamiliar with internet memes, that's a joke :-) 

Blockers is a funny film; I was definitely laughing consistently throughout. But it's also where the film struggles the most. The script has moments of huge laughs (parents trying to figure out what "lit AF" means was a personal favorite of mine) but there was a lot of dead time in my theater and for me personally. Characters on screen would be talking fast, obviously dropping one-liners, but there weren't many laughs. That's thanks to some stale writing for each character that significantly drops the hit rate of laughs in the film. If I had to put an estimate to it, I'd say that at least 30% of the jokes fell flat in our theater. It also doesn't help the film that some of its best moments are revealed in the trailers aside from a few, very funny gags. It also feels like the film extends a little too long, going in a lot of funny directions, but ones that are obviously just there for the "lols" rather than progressing the plot forward at all. This criticism could be made for really any comedy, but when your jokes aren't hitting as consistently as they should, it becomes a glaring issue compared to an ignorable one.

John Cena's ass is in this photo. You just can't see it

I went to 4 proms. And I loved each one.
So, so fun

That's a harsh staring paragraph for a comedy that's getting a lot of mainstream praise, but I should remind you that realistically the majority of the jokes land here. It has the ability to be a really funny film, thanks in large part to its awesome cast. Leslie Mann is the main lead here and she does get some funny moments, as does Ike Barinholtz. From an adults perspective though, it's John Cena that steals the show, hands down. His teddy bear tendencies are hilarious with his huge frame and the degree to which he's disconnected with teen information leads to some great laughs. Hollywood would be wise to fully transition Cena to the superstar that he could be and get him in some high-profile comedies. The kids are similarly fantastic with each one having a distinct personality and being highly endearing. The fact that they're girls is the "twist" of the film and it's an appreciated new angle from this often-seen comedy genre. At the end of it all I heavily judge comedies (maybe unfairly so) based on how often I could rewatch them. For Blockers the jokes aren't hard-hitting enough or side-splittingly hilarious enough to warrant a second view, but that shouldn't discredit the fun that you'll have with these zany situations and characters in a single trip. 

Much of Blockers success comes from a surprising element that some comedies fail to incorporate or leave out all together: heart. After the dust settles from the laughs and wildness these parents go through to break this sex pact, there are some heartfelt interactions with their children that feel genuine, accurate, and well-earned. There are real conversations about life after high school, sex, relationships, parents, mistakes, and all the things that come with the transition of being a child to an adult. These moments are where each actor or actress, whether kid or adult, gets the opportunity to put the humor aside and act and most are surprisingly apt at being relatable and real.

It's weird that there are just clothes floating to the left of this image, isn't it?
Ok I'm done now

Blockers isn't quite the comedy classic that I was hoping for from initial reviews, but neither is it the disappointing "samey" teen comedy that the first trailers would have you believe. It lands somewhere in the middle of being a pretty funny movie with a handful of dropped jokes that earns back your respect in the way it puts these female teenagers at the forefront and makes some genuine connections to real life situations. Oh, and John Cena. Dude's hilarious.

CONS

• Feels a little longer than it should and there's plenty of scenes that are there just for kicks
• Not all the humor landed for me or my audience. There's probably around a third of the jokes that fall flat
• Ultimately, other than being about teenage girls and a handful of other changes, this is pretty conventional fare

PROS

• The six main stars (3 kids and 3 adults) are all great for their own reasons. Cena will likely be the favorite for most and he flexes his comedic chops here
• A fresh take on this genre with some real responses to that period of a teenager's life in general
• Has some hilarious bits and some consistently funny jokes
• Really earns its heartfelt moments and emotional beats. Uncommon for this genre
• An entertaining watch that's sure to make you laugh and remember your own high school days

Rath's Review Score | 7/10