--- title: 'Dirty Grandpa' Is 'Utterly Unfunny': Film Review description: This movie makes 'Bad Grandpa' seem subtle and sophisticated by comparison canonical: https://time.com/4190128/dirty-grandpa-unfunny-review/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-22T16:42:51.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:39.945Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Review: 'Dirty Grandpa' Is 'Utterly Unfunny' og:description: This movie makes 'Bad Grandpa' seem subtle and sophisticated by comparison og:url: https://time.com/4190128/dirty-grandpa-unfunny-review/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt811540b83ac8e575/69887a2ae20a87ed10a8f2b2/dirty-grandpa.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4908 og:image:height: 2761 og:image:alt: UDEP_D30_08618.CR2 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Review: 'Dirty Grandpa' Is 'Utterly Unfunny' twitter:description: This movie makes 'Bad Grandpa' seem subtle and sophisticated by comparison twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt811540b83ac8e575/69887a2ae20a87ed10a8f2b2/dirty-grandpa.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Review: _Dirty Grandpa_ Is 'Utterly Unfunny' > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: 10 Questions for Zac Efron [Watch (HLS stream): 10 Questions for Zac Efron](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Oe5Tc2X4.m3u8) (4:12)  _Published 2009-11-19. The High School Musical star grows up in the new film Me and Orson Welles. Zac Efron will now take your questions_ by [Frank Schenk / The Hollywood Reporter](https://time.com/author/the-hollywood-reporter/) ## Frank Schenk / The Hollywood Reporter Jan 22, 2016 4:42 PM UTC  Zac Efron and Robert De Niro in Dirty Grandpa. Zac Efron and Robert De Niro in Dirty Grandpa. Lionsgate by [Frank Schenk / The Hollywood Reporter](https://time.com/author/the-hollywood-reporter/) ## Frank Schenk / The Hollywood Reporter Jan 22, 2016 4:42 PM UTC Humor, it must be acknowledged, is entirely subjective. What some people find hilarious, others find rude, even offensive. Indeed, it’s entirely possible that … wait, never mind. Forget all that. It can be definitively stated that _Dirty Grandpa_ is utterly unfunny. Or, you could say it’s as funny as child molestation, a subject which, incidentally, inspires one of its least tasteful gags. It’s hard to know which is the saddest moment of this purported comedy starring Robert De Niro and Zac Efron. Is it the spectacle of the two-time Academy Award winner masturbating to porn as a sight gag? His shirtless “flex off” with Efron? His karaoke rapping? Or his character’s nostalgic remembrance about his late wife that “we also tried anal every five years.” For those who care, the plot involves the title character, aptly named Dick (De Niro), recruiting his straight-laced, uptight lawyer grandson Jason (Efron) to drive him from Atlanta to Boca Raton after the death of his wife of four decades. Jason is at first resistant, since he works for his father’s (Dermot Mulroney) firm and is due to get married the next week to the neurotically controlling Meredith (Julianne Hough). But he reluctantly agrees, driving his fiancée’s pink car, which his grandfather alternately refers to as a “giant labia,” a “giant tampon” and a “dildomobile.” Although he initially appears to be a suitably grieving widower, Grandpa soon is revealed as a randy horndog whose sole goal is to get laid. And it looks like he’s going to get his wish when, during a stop at a roadside diner, they meet up with three college students on their way to Daytona Beach: Shadia (Zoey Deutch), Jason’s former high school classmate who shared his now-abandoned passion for photography; Lenore (Aubrey Plaza), who sees Dick as the fulfillment of her goal to sleep with a university student, alumni and professor (he’s conned her into thinking he’s the last); and Bradley (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman), a gay African-American who becomes the target of Dick’s running insults. After stopping briefly to see Dick’s old army buddy (Danny Glover, who’s also humiliated), Jason and his grandfather wind up in Daytona Beach to hook up with the threesome, with an obvious romantic attraction developing between Jason and the artistic Shadia. Before you know it, Jason lets his freak flag fly, inadvertently smoking crack and winding up on a beach naked save for a plush toy on his genitals, with penises shaped in the form of a swastika drawn on his face (cue the embarrassing FaceTime call with his fiancée and her elderly rabbi). Among the other repellent characters unfortunately at hand are Pam (Jason Mantzoukas), a zany beach store proprietor/drug dealer; Jason’s cousin Nick (Adam Pally), whose picture would show up in the dictionary under “Political Incorrectness”; and a pair of buffoonish cops (Henry Zebrowski and Mo Collins, the latter seeming to be doing a Jane Lynch impression). Screenwriter John M. Phillip (usually, comedies this bad are written by a team) thinks it’s the height of hilarity to have the characters swear as often as possible, with De Niro uttering the F-word more times here than in his entire collaboration with Martin Scorsese. He also says the N-word, although not before politely asking his new friends, a group of black toughs who he had previously beaten to a pulp, if it’s ok. (If you’re wondering about that last part, it has to do with a revelation about De Niro’s character that won’t be revealed here; let’s just say that he possesses a very particular set of skills.) Efron, obviously thrilled to be working with an acting legend, throws himself into the physical comedy with game enthusiasm. But his penchant for constantly exposing his ultra-buff body, as if he’s chagrined that he’s never appeared in a _Magic Mike_ movie, is wearing a bit thin. It’s all directed as crudely as possible by Dan Mazer, who somehow came to think that this inane material was on a par with that of his frequent collaborator, Sacha Baron Cohen. Far worse, _Dirty Grandpa_ doesn’t even have the courage of its anarchic convictions, frequently abandoning its tasteless humor to indulge in sentimental scenes in which the characters pour out their hearts to the accompaniment of a treacly music score. Whether he needs the money, simply loves to work, or has a strong desire to connect with a younger audience, De Niro really needs to rethink his career priorities. It’s fine for this brilliant actor to indulge his considerable comic gifts, but if he keeps doing crap like this he threatens to undo a legacy forged over decades. _Production: Bill Block Media, QED International, Josephson Entertainment_ _Cast: Robert De Niro, Zac Efron, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough, Jason Mantazoukas, Danny Glover, Brandon Mychal Smith, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Adam Pally, Jake Picking, Henry Zebrowski, Dermot Mulroney_ _Director: Dan Mazer_ _Screenwriter: John M. Phillips_ _Producers: Barry Josephson, Bill Block, Michael Simkin, Jason Barrett_ _Executive producers: Sasha Shapiro, Anton Lessine, John Friedberg, Michael Flynn, John M. Phillips_ _Director of photography: Eric Alan Edwards_ _Production designer: William Arnold_ _Editor: Anne McCabe_ _Costume designer: Christie Wittenborn_ _Composer: Michael Andrews_ _Casting: Amanda Mackey, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond_ _Rated R, 97 minutes_ _This_ [_article_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/dirty-grandpa-film-review-858229) _originally appeared on_ [_The Hollywood Reporter_](http://hollywoodreporter.com) ## Transcript I'm Rebecca Keegan for Time with Zac Efron. Best known for his roles in Hairspray and High School Musical. Zac next stars in Me and Orson Welles. Today he's taking questions from TIME readers. This one comes from Julie Sephora in New York, New York, who asks, How is man Orson Welles different from the other projects you've worked on before? It's sort of a coming of age story, but it's also a week sort of in the life of Orson Welles and this amazing prodigy genius, American icon, and really what it was like watching him rise in the industry and own virtually every medium at the time radio, theater and film. What was the risk for you in this role? I think I think the risk for me was it doesn't really rely on anything that I've sort of used in the past. There wasn't a particular skill set that I could fall back on, like singing or dancing or basketball. You know, you always wonder if you beat off more than you could chew with a raw pin of. The other actors in the movie were all incredibly accomplished. And I didn't want to disappoint you. I wanted to, you know, come in and learn as much as I could, but also bring my A-game and make sure that I could really contribute and not let them down. So I was incredibly nervous about the movie and and yeah, it's a bit scared at first, but, you know, usually usually that's that's a good sign and kind of means I should go for it. Looking to more seasoned actors, whose career would you most like to emulate? I don't know. There's there's far too many. I think. I think Leo's done a great job. He's one of the guys. It's since I've since I was growing up. And when I was younger, he I was I was almost dead set against the guy When I was growing up. I was not, not envious, but I was kind of force fed his image as a kid from from Titanic and wasn't jealous. It was just like you couldn't get away from it. You know what I mean? And I feel like since then, through, you know, very hard work and and incredible performances. But but also, you know, picking the right movies, He's he's completely 180 that and now he's, you know, one of my favorite actors. He's choosing incredible projects right now. He's at the top of his game and it was a long road, but he was so dedicated and so focused and could really pull it off. And that's that's something I admire. Jess in London wants to know if you could take away your fame for just one day. How would you spend that day? Wake up for a day and not have anything planned out like I used to. You know, I was young, you know, just not have any plans. Just see where the wind takes me. Just start driving and, you know, end up someplace completely different. I think would be fun to do. Our last question is probably one that you get asked often, but it seems to be very important to some of our readers. And that is Jennifer in Freehold, New Jersey, who asks, How do you keep your hair looking so great all the time? Oh, uh, that's kind of like a compliment on the outside. You okay? Little tip. I've never told anyone this before, so. This is a hair scoop. This is a hair escape. I would never reveal this to anybody. Okay, But for some reason, I like it. Good. Here's a trick. Shower before you go to sleep. And then sleep on, you know, your wet hair kind of towel. Dry it. When you wake up in the morning, it's all messed up naturally. It's kind of just going to be a little bit more messy. And then that's kind of cool. And then you put the product in when you wake up. Yeah, Yeah, exactly. You put something in it. I mean, whatever, whatever you put in. But if you have that, if you have that messed up thing when you wake up, it's more willing to stay that way. So it works. Exactly. Hair tips. 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