Mon père et moi

This is a difficult movie to review, because, by all intents and purposes, it isn't good. Less a coherent narrative and more a random collection of scenes, "About My Father" is a so-called comedy that seemingly spares no expense to get a laugh. From carefully constructed comedic set pieces to jokey monologues and silly slapstick - all with the intent of making the audience laugh - "About My Father" has all the right ingredients to be the next laugh out loud hit of the summer. But is the film actually funny? Yes and no.

It bears repeating that "About My Father" isn't a good film, but you knew that already; no one can watch the trailer for this movie and legitimately think that it's going to be good (except for my mother, my father, and my grandmother, who all watched and trailer and were excited to see this movie). However, if you go in with the right mindset - preferably the mindset one gets from indulging in certain alcoholic beverages - I believe you can have a good time with this.

Look, is this movie a theatrical experience? Of course not. This is, without a doubt, a direct to DVD movie that someone, somewhere, greased the right hands to get released in theatres. That said, if you find yourself in a situation where you're forced to see this movie on a silver screen near you, I don't think you'll have a terrible time. There's nothing original in this movie, and it is by no means clever. In fact, "instantly" and "forgettable" are two perfect words to summarize this movie. But I can't deny that I was smiling and chuckling from beginning to end.

There's crude, somewhat naughty humor here; there's ridiculous facial expressions and comedic reactions to the goings on of the movie; all of it is wrapped around a story you've seen done, and done better, a billion times before - but that's not to say that there isn't entertainment value here. This is a silly, ridiculous movie, but it's one that offers some fun if you're willing to turn off your brain, forget about the plot, and focus on the gags. And while for me personally nothing ever made me belly laugh, I found myself chuckling constantly; it's also relevant to say that I saw this in a packed theatre, and everyone was laughing from beginning to end, so take that how you will.

"About My Father" is, once again, a bad movie, but I don't think you'll hate it, because I didn't hate it, and I fully expected to. In fact, I was dreading to see this movie, but once it started I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I was having a good time (and yes, the alcohol may have helped). So, if you're on the fence about this movie and wondering whether or not you should see it, I would recommend that you should, but definitely wait for it to release on DVD or on streaming; this is by no means a theatre experience. But, if you're at home, with some brews, and have literally nothing else to do, you could find a worse way to spend an afternoon.

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.

Refreshing. It was a nice, feel good movie that stresses the importance of family. My husband and I are big Sebastian Maniscalco fans and could not wait to go see this movie. It's funny and cute with a nice theme involving his immigrant father and the embarrassing things he does. As an immigrant myself with an immigrant mother, this hit home. It reminds us that our hard working parents taught us by example of how to be hard workers and put family first. It was an enjoyable movie and we laughed and cried. Recommended if you're looking for a light comedy with a family themed message. It does have some coarse language so keep that in mind.

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.

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.