The War with Grandpa ★★★

Tim Hill

Starring Robert De Niro, Oakes Fegley, Uma Thurman, Christopher Walken, Jane Seymour

A whole host of heavyweight Hollywood actors appear in this family comedy that centres around a Grandpa (Robert De Niro) who goes to ‘war’ with his grandson (Oakes Fegley) over who should call a room in the family home their bedroom. This is an out and out family affair, with all of its stars appearing in this presumably so that they can actually show some of their work to their children and grandchildren without having to send them to counselling afterwards. There will be a lot of criticism towards this movie as another waste of De Niro’s talents, or Uma Thurman’s rare appearances on screen. But those comments completely miss the point.

Although largely throw-away, there is a lot of fun to be had with giggle-out-loud moments including some wobbly dentures and the unlikely appearance of Christopher Walken just being Christopher Walken. There is even a scene where Uma Thurman takes you back to the days of Kill Bill as she hunts down her daughter’s new boyfriend. It’s exciting to see Thurman’s potential again and she is, and has always been, such a badass.

This won’t be winning Oscars or lingering for years in the memory but not every film needs or has the intention to! Great and silly for a Saturday afternoon with classic gags and unthinkably famous stars.

The War with Grandpa available now on Amazon Prime