Film Review: Grimsby

Grimsby, also titled The Brothers Grimsby, is Sacha Baron Cohen’s newest comedy to grace the silver screen and many were let down. Why, you may ask? Seeing as the film is the brain child of Cohen and his partners that wrote Cohen’s classic comedies. My guess is expectations were too high.

While the film may not have lived up to Cohen’s other notable and iconic films and characters, such as Borat Sagdiyev and Brüno, the film does share similar crude humour and many unexpected and questionable situations that feature in most of Cohen’s genius comedies.

Grimsby follows Cohen’s character Nobby Butcher, a seemingly jobless man living in a small football obsessed fishing town in England with his lady and nine children, as he reunites with his long lost brother Sebastian (Mark Strong) who happens to be a MI6 spy. The two are forced to team up and country jump to save the world from Rhonda George (Penélope Cruz).

The film has a stunning and hugely talented cast that also includes Rebel Wilson, who plays Cohen’s girlfriend and Isla Fisher who plays Strong’s love interest and fellow colleague that helps with all the computer work from afar. Personally, I would have liked to see more of these remarkably talented actresses in action, but granted the Grimsby brothers illuminate the screen majority of the time. Oh, and I forgot Daniel Radcliffe’s cameo (not really him).

As mentioned before, if you are only seeing the film for Cohen’s famous comic and rather ridiculous situations and self-revealing ridicule, then you will be a little let down. The humour is still there and is especially present in the elephant scene (you’ll know when you see it) and where Nobby has to suck the deadly poison out of Sebastian’s scrotum. The film is not heavily dependant on the crude humour that Cohen is well-known for and that may be a positive thing for some people.

Grimsby has a certain balance between the crude humour, the easy-flowing but entertaining story-line and the message it wishes to send that revolves around the reunited brothers and family. Which is the most important part and possibly the most engaging part of the film. The film interweaves the brothers’ backstory through flashbacks that set up their brotherly love for each other that wins out at the end of the film.

Another point I wanted to add is that the film feels very English, especially at the start. And as a person that usually prefers English comedies over American comedies, this factor was rather refreshing and appreciated.

So, go in with an open mind and lower those sky reaching expectations just a tad and you’ll enjoy the film plenty and receive more than a few laughs.

Watch the trailer below:

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