Upset that he has to share the room he loves with his grandfather, Peter decides to declare war in an attempt to get it back.
I’ve noticed as movie stars get older, many of them make films aimed at younger audiences. Maybe they have grandkids of their own who want to see them in age-appropriate movies, or as they begin to scale back on their projects, they enjoy the interaction with a younger generation, or maybe it’s a generous paycheck, whatever the reason, watching these stars collaborate with children can sometimes be amusing, or downright funny. In the case of “The War with Grandpa,” it is 94 minutes of pure harmless fun and hijinks. Robert De Niro casts aside his tough-guy persona, evident in so many of his films, including last year’s violent opus, “The Irishman,” to play Ed, a retired grandfather who moves in with his daughter Sally (Uma Thurman) and her family so she can take care of him.
Initially reluctant as he enjoys living by himself, he agrees to the move at Sally’s insistence. She knows he misses his late wife and feels that being around family might do him good. When his grandson Peter (Oakes Fegley) is moved out of his bedroom and into the creepy old attic to make way for Ed, Peter takes it personally and declares war on his grandpa. In the beginning, Peter’s antics amuse Ed more than anything but when his pranks become more serious, at the behest of Ed’s best friends Jerry (Christopher Walken) and Danny (Cheech Marin), grandpa and grandson sign a declaration of war and things begin to escalate. From putting a snake in Ed’s bed and placing toothpaste between his Oreo cookies, to Ed ruining Peter’s online game which he has spent years constructing, the war intensifies and things eventually come to a head at Ed’s granddaughter’s birthday party, ruining the day and causing grandpa and grandson to contemplate their behavior.
“The War with Grandpa” feels like an updated version of “Home Alone” but with much less destruction and mayhem. De Niro is fine but the rest of the cast, including Christopher Walken, as well as Uma Thurman, Jane Seymour, Cheech Marin, and Rob Riggle, are pretty much wasted in supporting roles that could have been filled by lesser-known actors. Oakes Fegley as Peter rises to the occasion and gives De Niro a run for his money when it comes to aptitude and ingenuity. “The War with Grandpa” will not go down in the history books as one of De Niro’s best but it should entertain the kiddos while you search for more adult fare.
In Select Theaters Friday, October 9th
