Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 90 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Jacob Tremblay, Keith L. Williams, Brady Noon, Lil Rey Howry, Will Forte
Description: Three 6th grade boys ditch school and embark on an epic journey while carrying accidentally stolen drugs, being hunted by teenage girls, and trying to make their way home in time for a long-awaited party.
Review: “Good Boys” opening credits take you along the walls and across the desk of a boys' room. It's one like so many, with model airplanes, picture frames and toys lying around. When the main actors and production workers are introduced to the public, the image comes to rest with an average boy, about twelve years old, playing games in bed. And as in so many films of this genre, this kid is going to experience an enormously recognizable milestone in his life. A milestone after which everything will be different, and not in the way he had in mind. Max, as he's called, is going to his first kissing party soon.
The film follows a fairly common, and generally quite successful, pattern. Max goes to the kissing party with his two best friends Lucas and Thor, but not before some increasingly unsolvable problems have been overcome. A number of unlikely and recurring friends, enemies and jokes are made, all of which coincide in an insane apotheosis, in “Good Boys” the kissing party, where everything goes slightly different than planned. Put the course of this film next to that of “Superbad” or “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle”, and the similarities are obvious.
The two pillars on which such films rest are the recognizability of the situations and the quality of the jokes. Unfortunately, in “Good Boys” there is a lot to be said for both, although both aspects certainly have their strong points. For example, writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg constantly succeed in making children's experiences recognizable in a playful way. There is nothing in the world as important as that one kissing party. However, this youthful innocence and ignorance are also an important source of jokes. They make fun of the endearing innocence and the bubble the kids are sitting in is pierced repeatedly, usually for a cheap laugh.
At the same time, the second point of criticism: the jokes. In this genre, good humor can keep the whole thing going, regardless of the quality of the rest of the film. Usually the humor is a bit juvenile, but also sharp and on the edge, especially on the edge of good taste. However, the choice of three children as the main characters makes it difficult for the humor to get past the slapstick level. A first kiss and a sneaky sip of beer aren't as outrageous as shooting your virginity or shooting at a police car, although a twelve-year-old might think so. The running gags are good, that is, but not strong enough to keep the whole thing exciting for an hour and a half.
Rating: 2,5 / 5
