Meu Pai é um Perigo

I might be biased as a fan of both Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert de Niro but I'll try my best. I liked the film's jokes, most land while also incorporating Maniscalco's stand-up material. This movie was light-hearted and fun. It was well cast, some scenes are genuinely hysterical, and I thought the supporting characters were really good.

But this film was overwhelmingly cheesy. The voiceover sometimes interrupts serious moments and becomes really obnoxious. There's a lot of unnecessary fluff in the middle to end section; the weird pacing and quick conclusion kind of ruins a lot.

The whole movie overall was fun and lighthearted, and the jokes land most of the time. Some stuff was so outrageous but it honestly works because at least my theatre laughed. It was cool to see how Sebastian's acting actually improved throughout the film, and Robert de Niro was delightful as always. But honestly it's more worth it to just watch Meet the Fockers as it does the whole "meeting in-laws" thing in a much funnier way. I'm glad he made this movie, and I know everyone is saying this, but I'd hope to see Sebastian Maniscalco just stick to stand-up in the future.

As a fan of both Sebastian Maniscalco and Robert De Niro, we finally got the duo we didn't know we needed. The chemistry between them as father and son was spot on and convincing. They were actually hilarious together. The story wasn't anything revolutionary that hasn't been done before, and it is predictable, but it was still a fun, turn-your-brain-off entertaining watch, especially with the excellent all-around casting ensemble that created a perfect balance of characters for both families. The humor was hit and miss, and mostly cheesy, but there were still some funny scenes where the cast elevated the humor. It certainly could've used more comedy and antics, as most of the funny parts are all in the trailer. Nevertheless, it's still a fun one-time watch, even if only to see De Niro and Maniscalco goof it up a little like a bunch of sappy meatballs.

I will preface my comments by saying that I'm a huge fan of Sebastian Maniscalco. I think he's a brilliant comedian and I admire his devotion to his family.

Ever since I discovered him several years ago, seeing him in concert has been on my bucket list. I was thrilled to finally have my wish come true last year, when he performed in Toronto. It coincided with my 65th birthday and it was the perfect gift for this newly-minted senior!

Now to About My Father. Sorry to say that it missed the mark in so many ways. First, Sebastian is way too old for the role. I had a hard time processing a 49-year-old man who had never married so eager to impress his in-laws. Not at all believable. The role would have been more suited to a much younger man in his 20s or 30s.

Leslie Bibb, who played Sebastian's fiance was way too perky, to the point of being annoying. I just wanted to slap her.

There were some mildly humorous parts, but not nearly enough. I get that this film was an homage to Sebastian's father, but I quickly tired of the sappy sentimentality. The voice-over narrative throughout was distracting and boring.

The only saving grace was DiNiro's performance. He was perfectly cast as an Italian-American dad. He did have some good lines which made me giggle, but again these were few and far between.

I admire Sebastian for attempting a feature film, but I think he should stick to stand-up or TV. I do wish him all the best in wherever his career takes him.

About My Father is a 2023 comedy film directed by Laura Terruso (Good Girls get High, Work It, and I want my phone Back). It was written by comedian Sebastian Maniscalco (Is It Me?, Stay Hungry, Aren't You Embarrassed?, and Why would you do That?) and Austen Earl (The Santa Clauses, Happy Together, and The Millers). The film is loosely based on Sebastian's life and his relationship with his father. The budget was $29 million and it grossed $18.2 million at the box office.

Sebastian (played by: Sebastian Maniscalco from The Irishman, The Super Mario Bros, Green Book, and Tag) informs his traditional Italian immigrant father Salvo (played by: Robert De Niro from Heat, Goodfellas, Casino, Meet the Parents/Fockers/Little Fockers, The War with Grandpa, Dirty Grandpa, Joker, The King of Comedy, Analyze This/That, and Silver Linings Playbook) about his plan to propose to his American girlfriend Ellie (played by: Leslie Bibb from Iron Man 1/2, Law Abiding Citizen, The Babysitter 2, Running with the Devil, and Tag) but Salvo insists on joining them for a weekend with her parents (played by: David Rasche from Burn After Reading and Kim Cattrall from Big Trouble in Little China). Despite the clash between their two cultures and initial perception of having nothing in common he decides to let his father join him for the big weekend. Can they all get along or will it be pure chaos????

About My Father brings the iconic Robert De Niro back to the big screen. Since his nasty divorce, the legend has been forced to take roles in all kinds of small and b-movie projects the last few years. So it's nice to see him in a bigger movie every once in awhile like this. I've noticed as De Niro has gotten older, the comedy genre is his most regular role these days. It works because he has always had great comedic timing and he's just hilarious. About My Father is loosely based on Sebastian's real life. Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is the lead here.

Honestly, he's really not that great of an actor but he is able to basically play himself in this one. He took full control on this project and About My Father turned out good. Actors like De Niro and Leslie Bibb really elevated Sebastian in this comedy. De Niro is my all time favorite actor, this is one of his better performances in awhile. His chemistry with everyone is hilarious. It has a solid supporting cast with a few familiar faces in it. It has a little bit of everything thrown in here which includes drama, romance, father/son, and the obvious comedy. This is definitely worth the watch, it has some really humorous moments. RECOMMENDED!!!!

I watched the trailer, found it interesting and went to the cinema with my family. We were literally the only one who went to this movie this day in my town and I really don't understand why.

The movie has some great actors of course with Robert De Niro but also with Sebastian Manisalco (fun fact: his character in the movie has the same name as he has in real life). The story is just such a nice family story. If you watch it you just feel great as soon as the credits begin to roll because the combination of comedy and emotions was pretty nice solved.

I think that many people don't watch this movie because it's a smaller movie and not the biggest blockbuster but oftentimes the small things are just better.