First Take: Good Boys- thank god high school wasn’t that full on

SYNOPSIS: Three 6^th 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.

In comedy, the secret is in the timing. Especially when you’re making a film about three year 7- sorry, 6^th grade- students getting their footing in life and growing up. It’s been done TO DEATH. Even in the later years of school life, we had a fantastic film about an 8^th grade student earlier this year. But it was only a matter of time before Point Grey- Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s production company- made a film about that pivotal time in life. And while it isn’t bad, it does suffer the usual issues that these films face.

Gene Stupnitsky is the man in charge on this latest Rogen/Goldberg produced endeavour, and he does a very good job on this film, pacing the 1 hour 29 minutes really well, and creating one of the better kinds of American comedy, a style of film that has been underwhelming of late. He also co-wrote the script with Lee Eisenberg (who apparently co-directed the film, but without the credit due to the DGA’s rules), and sure, while it did pass the 6 laugh test because of the unique nature of the film’s comedic moments, the novelty of hearing children swear on a cinema screen wears off by the end of the film. It’s shot decently by Jonathan Furmanski, and the score from Lyle Workman, the guy behind the music for Superbad, just about does the job.

With the cast, it’s a mixed bag. Jacob Tremblay- the boy who won over the world with his work on 2015’s surprise awards hit Room- is brilliant as he usually is, and supporting him are Keith L. Williams and Brady Moon as his fellow ‘Bean Bag Boys’. They are a good pairing, and they make the film come alive, but the rest of the cast, which include Molly Gordon, Stephen Merchant, and, well… those are the two most popular members of the cast on IMDB, need a little more development. There is genuine untapped potential with this film, and yes, it is a typical gross-out comedy, but considering the output over the last few weeks, having a film like this, with a few friends along for the ride (hello Vue crew, missed you guys so much during that break) feels refreshing. It’s proper light relief.

THE VERDICT

Good Boys is a decent enough film for what it’s trying to be. But arguably it’s designed not to be taken seriously- this is a comedy, and at times, it does feel a little unrealistic and forced, and that’s before we mention the usual humour ‘translation’ issues of sorts that these films typically have. It’s best enjoyed with friends, and that’s the best scenario for everyone.

RATING- 3.5/5