“Good Boys,” the newest collaboration released by friends and producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (“Long Shot”), designates itself from a significant amount of the duo’s past works in that it does not require showcasing the variable effects of drugs or alcohol in order to generate an hour and a half worth of laughs. Instead, the audience is treated to a delightful new comedy charged by the naive nature of its three leads, in addition to a surprisingly relatable storyline involving friendship and middle school struggles.
The brunt of the film’s charm is derived from the sheer cluelessness of its three main characters, Max (Jacob Tremblay, “Wonder”), Thor (Brady Noon, “Boardwalk Empire”), and Lucas (Keith L. Williams, “The Last Man on Earth”), as they encounter various adult concepts and paraphernalia and later get in way over their heads as they skip a day of school. All three boys bring a level of maturity to their performances which shows promise in their respective futures. While their youthful qualities make for perfect outlets through which the film’s comedic style can be expertly conveyed. Though the majority of the film’s comedy lands relatively smoothly, at times it is bogged down by the over-abundance of vulgar language delivered by the three children, which occasionally feels unnecessary or out of context in certain situations. However, this does not stop the boys from shining in their roles, for they all find ways to embrace the individual personalities of their respective characters and assert that they were indeed the best fit for them.
Aside from its comedic elements, “Good Boys” also displays a surprising amount of emotional depth through real life issues covered in its screenplay. Though a great deal of the film is devoted to the common theme of friendship, it also twists the subject by focusing on the often overlooked issue of the possibility of friends eventually losing interest in one another, a concept reminiscent of another Rogen-Goldberg film, “Superbad.” The film even takes a brief break from it humorous aspects to address other possible issues that middle school-aged children may experience in a more emotional manner, thus creating a new way through which audience members can resonate with the characters and their inner struggles.
“Good Boys” is remarkable in that it not only features established talent such as Will Forte (“The Last Man on Earth”) or Lil Rel Howery (“Uncle Drew”), but also forces these individuals to take a back seat in favor of a strong group of rising stars who each show an immense amount of potential. Even first time director Gene Stupnitsky (“SMILF”) finds a way to shine through his involvement in this film, thus implicating that he may also have a bright future in the film industry as a comedy director. Overall the film triumphs because of its collective freshness both in terms of acting and content, which only further exemplifies how much heart the story possesses. As such, it most certainly can be said that “good” is far from enough praise to give this movie.
