Title – Good Boys (2019)

Director – Gene Stupnitsky (feature debut)

Cast – Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Molly Gordon, Will Forte, Lil Rel Howery

Plot – Newly minted sixth graders The Beanbag Boys, Max (Tremblay), Lucas (Williams) and Thor (Noon) get invited to their first “kissing” party but find their journey there anything but straight forward after they decide to skip school for the day.

“I will always love you, but I no longer like you”

Review by Eddie on 01/10/2019

The good boys gone bad/caught in a bad situation sub-genre of comedy is nothing new but thanks to a likeable collection of young stars and some solid laughs, the Seth Rogen backed Good Boys is an enjoyable comedic romp that showcases the doom and gloom around big screen comedies is far from correct.

Becoming a sleeper hit in the United States, debut feature director Gene Stupnitsky’s well reviewed un-pc comedy that follows “The Beanbag Boys” Max, Lucas and Thor as the newly minted 6 graders start to deal with their new tween lives filled with the opposite sex, pressures and changing friendships, is not ground-breaking stuff but there’s enough heart, soul and outlandish situations here too ensure audiences will enjoy their brief time in the lives of these childhood friends.

From selling rare fantasy cards to questionable buyers like Peter Pan69, enacting out kissing practice on suspect looking CPR dolls or entering into college frat houses, the quest the Beanbag Boys take us on is over the top and not dissimilar to granddaddy of this type of film Superbad and while it doesn’t quite land the way in which that particular classic does, these colourful characters make for kind-hearted and likeable protagonists as their goal to attend a kissing party goes far from smoothly.

If you were too tell me a few years ago that the loveable kid from Room would be appearing in a cuss-laden and innuendo filled adult comedy wearing a gimp mask I would’ve thought you were all types of crazy but Jacob Tremblay expertly leads his co-stars Keith L. Williams and Brady Noon across Stupnitsky’s wild ride as his lady focused Max helps steer Williams worry-wort Lucas and Noon’s attitude filled Thor into some outlandish situations in the name of first love.

Not all jokes in the crews repertoire works throughout, with Lucas’s over the top antics in particular grating after the first hour or so while the films bare bones plot line that doesn’t even pretend to be realistic takes us too some places that didn’t really need to be on the destination list but even when the film tries a little too hard to make those big life statements and the mawkish nature of friendship lessons take hold, you still can’t help but be glad you’ve got to spend some good quality time with a bunch of soon to be teenagers who whether you’d like to admit or not, will remind you of yourself in this time of our your life, for better or worse.

In an age where the female lead comedy or the man-child filled bromance comedies are the hot property in Hollywood, Good Boys focus on the awkward tweenage years brings something fresh to the table, that while certainly not appropriate for the age group it represents, offers up everyone else a comedy that feels both fresh and familiar, enjoyable without ever threatening to become overly memorable.

Final Say –

Equal amounts offensive and likeable, Good Boys is a wickedly fun comedic exercise that while not achieving any great lasting successes, succeeds in its goal of making us laugh at some seriously awkward kids getting caught in some equally awkward situations.

3 Gandalf lookalikes out of 5