When three parents discover their daughters’ pact to lose their virginity at prom, they launch a covert one-night operation to stop the teens from sealing the deal.
Blockers isn't stunningly original by any stretch of the imagination, but thanks to a surprisingly clever script, a load of entertaining performances and it's gender-swapped cast, it makes the most of what it has to offer. A lot of what allows the film to be as effective as it is can be attributed to the adult cast, comprised of John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike Bartholtz who each share considerably strong chemistry and get plenty to do in their roles as protective parents trying to "cock-block" their teenagers on the cusp of prom night. John Cena, in particular, is surprisingly hilarious as Mitchell, and the wrestler-turned-actor gets plenty of work to flex his comedic muscle, which he does very well. Mann is very convincing in the role of protective mother, and the actress does an admirable job at being both determined to help her daughter and unintentionally funny. Bartholtz is great as well, although his character is clearly there only for comedic relief and his shtick can come across as grating at times. The young actors are notable as well, comprised of Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Ramona Young, who all do very well in portraying young teenage girls on the verge of maturity. What's surprising is how the movie manages to flesh them out just enough to give them distinct personalities and chemistry in the film's dynamic, although their boyfriends are cliched. Blockers, from a narrative perspective, is pretty straightforward, and when it comes to comedies, that's not too much of a bad thing, and it revolves around the parents' journey to prevent their children from losing their virginity on prom night. As expected it doesn't go nearly as well as anyone could have planned, neither the teens nor the adults, who get involved in increasingly risky and challenging scenarios. However, Blockers also adds a surprising amount of depth that it mines from its generational clash scenario and that mostly comes in the form of how it approaches and addresses the theme of growing up and sexuality as a whole. It explores it smartly from the perspective of both the adults and the teenagers involved in a way that adds a somewhat clever edge to the script. To that end, Blockers is certainly no slouch in the comedic department, but how much of that really works will ultimately come down to how much vulgarity one is willing to take. As an R-rated comedy, Blockers fully pushes the boundaries of its rating, and while some of it can be seen as a bit self-indulgent, it nevertheless results in some pretty clever and crass set pieces, one involving chugging through John Cena's butt and another involving a naked game of nipple rubbing. Admirably enough, Kay Cannon's direction is strong enough, all things considering. There are some moments where the transitions between the drama and comedy simply don't work, either due to how insane the movie gets that any emotion feels awkward or in the abrupt timing, but thankfully, the level of societal depth and fresh perspective he explores the film through add a pretty compelling view on things. He seems to understand the way these characters are underestimated by the more adult crowd and more generally accepted views of men over women without ever feeling as if it's just being done to be done. It's a funny (depending on your definition of comedy) and clever film that on the surface, seems to throw up in your face with self-fulfillment, but that would be to skip out on the "intelligence" underneath the surface. Despite it's tonal flaws at times, Blockers is a pretty fun movie, and the new American Pie for a new generation. -
