Grim Indeed
The Brothers Grimsby (Grimsby) (2016): 2 out of 10: Sacha Baron Cohen can be very hit and miss. When he hits, he can be brilliant, such as his Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan and when he misses? Well, we have Brüno.
In the non-mockumentary category The Dictator was a fairly fun and a surprisingly funny romp, and now we have the follow-up miss. The Brothers Grimsby is awful. Cohen and his clan of characters are so utterly unlikeable and the gross-out jokes so forced it is painful to watch.
Gross out comedy can work. Borat’s naked wrestling scene is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. That movie earned its gross-out scene, which came from the characters’ interactions. This movie forces ridiculous scenario after ridiculous scenario in a bizarre game of one- upmanship.
As for the characters. Well, the idea of James Bond having an incompetent simpleton brother following him around has good comedic potential. Cohen’s character and those he surrounds himself with are unlikable and not a group one wants to spend any time around.
Sentimental about the classless, freeloading scum and gross beyond the point of funny Grimsby is a chore to even watch.