A Grandpa’s Not-So-Easy Behavior: A Hilarious Reunion with a Few Bumps
The most surprising and paradoxical aspect of “The War with Grandpa” is the historic reunion of two legendary actors after a 42-year cinematic separation. It had been that long since Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken, as characters, faced fate in a game of Russian roulette under the guns of the Viet Cong in Michael Cimino’s “The Deer Hunter.” That scene entered film history as one of the most intense and controversial. Now, the smell of napalm in the morning is just a memory. However, in Tim Hill’s film, there’s no shortage of warfare, albeit without the Vietnamese flashbacks.
After an unfortunate incident involving a self-checkout and supermarket staff, the eccentric and overly independent Grandpa Ed (Robert De Niro) is almost forcibly moved in with his daughter, Sally (Uma Thurman). She’s tired of playing caretaker and scolding her father for his latest antics. Ed is getting older and recently became a widower. Loneliness is both painful and detrimental for the old man; if something were to happen, no one would be around, and he and his daughter live at least a couple of hours apart. After some brief arguments, the family reunion finally occurs, but it’s overshadowed by another issue: grandson Peter (Oakes Fegley) has to give up his bright and coveted second-floor room to the grumpy old man, while he, with all his boyish belongings, is sent to the attic with the rats and bats. The schoolboy isn’t about to give up so easily, and Grandpa accepts the challenge. Representatives of two distant generations sign a pact to begin a war: civilians are not to be harmed, no tattling, and weapons at the ready!
A Battle of Generations: Comedy or Cringe?
Tim Hill, the director of “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” sets out with the noble goal of reiterating simple truths and the basic values of the American dream: family is unique, you don’t get to choose your parents (or especially your grandparents), and the best thing you can do is try to take care of each other. Indeed, some scenes in the film aren’t without a touch of Hollywood-style sentimentality: a father and daughter remember the departed mother, a grandfather teaches his grandson the secrets of fishing, and he tells his granddaughter about building houses, which he dedicated his life to before retirement.
However, the path between these brief moments of truce and harmony is paved with mines of questionable gags and clumsy, at best outdated, humor. A significant portion of the runtime is dedicated to endless falls, locked doors, and vases glued to tables. The “grandpa vs. grandson” war mostly consists of petty mischief, but even in this niche genre, it lacks inventiveness. The screen displays a typical set of close-quarters combat delights: shaving cream replaced with expanding foam, cosmetic cream gluing two halves of a cookie together, a snake waiting under the pensioner’s sheets, and, of course, a fall into the trash cans (though that’s from a different war). The culmination of the battle of generations isn’t even the half-destroyed house but a dodgeball game for the title of victor. Tim Hill truly gives the viewer a unique opportunity: where else can you see Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Cheech Marin, and Jane Seymour jumping on trampolines and aiming balls at the heads of mischievous teenagers?
The Verdict: A Nostalgic Trip or a Missed Opportunity?
This parade of comedic weaponry feels more awkward than funny, but some things defy analysis and understanding. In those rare scenes when the old men stroll through the park or are engaged in ordinary chatter about life, grandchildren, and PlayStations, De Niro, Walken, and Marin seem to make time stand still and win you over with their mere coexistence on screen. Perhaps the filming was indeed a long-awaited reunion of seasoned veterans. And overall, the familiar faces and characters, sweet in their directness and naivety, don’t cause irritation: Uma Thurman in a not-so-typical role as a mother of a large family; her husband (Rob Riggle), forced to prove to his father-in-law that he hasn’t sold out to corporations and is still worth something; the eldest daughter, Mia (Laura Marano), who is trying to build her first relationship against her mother’s will; and the determined grandson, who has another war at school with older bullies. Perhaps “The War with Grandpa” is aimed at the peers of the latter or even his younger sister (the party in honor of her birthday ends in destruction). But, unfortunately or fortunately, the viewer’s perception has changed quite a bit: what worked in comedies from the nineties or even the mid-2000s (like Kevin’s merciless traps in “Home Alone”) today evokes pity and anxiety attacks. When Robert De Niro (a soldier, a mobster, and simply one of the main pillars of New Hollywood) falls on the floor, you don’t want to laugh but grab your heart and sympathize with the old man. If Tim Hill was trying to call on the public to cherish and respect the elderly in this way, then perhaps he succeeded.