Blockers is a competent comedy following a pack of parents determined to refuse their teenage daughters their prom night pact to lose their virginity.
That may sound like a film we’ve seen before, but where lead roles have been traditionally held by young, dumb, and full of cum boys, the leads are now young females exploring their sexuality and desires.
The funniest gags from this film come from slapstick comedy as performed by its fantastic cast of comedic characters. I am glad to see John Cena following the path of Dwayne Johnson and playing the role of the funny big man. There is something poetic and humanizing about seeing a giant man succumb to his emotion and cry. It’s great to see someone coming from a sector of sports entertainment based in violence, insults, and aggression showing off their softer side and being able to laugh at themselves.
To his right and left flank on their journey of intrusive parenting gone mad are comedy staples Leslie Mann and odd-man-out Ike Barinholtz. This trio makes for a treat as their on screen chemistry is undeniable.
Beyond the slapstick and big man big heart gags, lies a swath of 90s and early 2000s pop culture references that amount to utter gold. The only sad bit was when these gems went over the head of the audience in my auditorium and fell flat. Please do not be among these movie goers and appreciate the greatness as you spot it. Keep an eye out for Xena, brush up on your LOTR references, and, for the love of god, know what American Beauty is before watching this. Xena, ok I could forgive my fellow movie goers for not spotting her and letting loose a chuckle, but I could not believe the crickets when LOTR references appeared and a perfect American Beauty reference was made.
In some ways, this film was a cookie cutter coming of age sex comedy to the likes of American Pie and others, but with a heavy focus on parent anxieties (maybe because those of us who watched those films as youth are now sitting at the adult table with our own offspring skittering about). However, I did appreciate the themes and perspectives shown. First, the girls, for once we are treated to the perspective of the pervish minds of teenage girls. It’s rare to see and hear young women making sexual references and bragging about their exploits and it is a breath of fresh air to see this as it is high time we show girls acting like human beings versus prim and proper and undeniably fake dolls who do not fart or poop and definitely do not have (and if they do, do not enjoy) sex.
They also tackled the double standard for sex between the genders and showed how and why some women join the ranks of viewing female sexual conduct as nonexistent and react as many fathers do in trying to prolong the virginity of their daughters, but for different reasons.
To conclude, if you’re not an avid cinema patron, Blockers can easily be enjoyed from home without losing any of the experience. If you are a weekly visitor like me, it is an enjoyable ride through the trials and tribulations of sex, growing up, and parenting.