For the uninitiated, a rooster populates the poster for this to hint at what the mission of parents Kathryn (Leslie Mann-The Other Woman), Mitchell (John Cena-Sisters) and Hunter (Ike Barinholtz) will be when they send their daughters to prom night.
Three friends (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswathnathan and Gideon Adlon) make a pact to lose their virginity and while this becomes a typical teen coming of age film, it flips the trope of the male losers in high school who want to make their last hurrah a memorable one. In fact, these three female seniors are very likeable and whilst they may stick to themselves, it’s not implied that they are on the fringes of their cohort.
Naturally, it’s the doting parents who are none the wiser about their daughter’s own intentions, and through a laboured albeit comical decoding of an emoji thread they are on the trail. John Cena is delightful as the overprotective father who is actually masquerading a softie side, and his machismo outbursts often fill the void of awkward silences between the adult trio.
Overbearing as they are, these parents battle their own separation anxiety and although they live vicariously through their children, the uplifting and progressive dynamic of the single mum with the house husband and ex-husband reminds us that families are not as dysfunctional as we make them out to be. Women get the lion’s (or rooster’s) share of the funny material in the film, but not at the expense of making the men look incompetent or stupid. Pristine and full of prowess, the wives in this movie are the confident decision makers.
Blockers highlights that women do not need to be saved nor are they naive about their bodies, yet the one slight in this movie that rides the “sex sells” wave is that there is a lot of build up and no climax. As quickly as this angle is discovered it’s replaced by more slapstick antics of goofball parents. Most of the entertainment and smutty humour is sidestepped by chugging scenes and a questionable boyfriend who’s a bit on the nose with his extra curricular activities. Youth isn’t always wasted on the young when there are enough 40 somethings eager to relive their glory days.
Definitely see this one, but don’t expect you parents to accompany you.
Verdict: 7/10
Universal Pictures Australia
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