By: Sari Cohen | HFLF Contributor
In the words of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince – “Parents Just Don’t Understand.” While that quote might be a little outdated for teenagers today, it still holds true, and is ironically relatable to the cast of characters in “Blockers.”
The R-rated 1 hour and 42 minute comedy hits theaters on Friday, April 6, and is packed with laugh-out-loud moments. The story follows three parents in their attempt to stop their barely legal daughters from going “all the way” on prom night and stars Leslie Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena.
In her debut directorial role, Kay Cannon (‘Pitch Perfect,’ ‘30 Rock,’ ‘New Girl’) flexes her comedy muscles on the big screen with that same kind of “oh my gosh they really went there” humor we’ve seen from her other work. It’s also hard to miss producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s hand in this, not only for their prior collaborations with Mann, but also because the film is reminiscent of past hits, such as “Knocked Up,” and others that have trademarked their unmistakable style of comedy.
Barinholtz, who might as well have a black belt in comedy thanks to his work in shows like “Eastbound & Down” and “The Mindy Project,” is the dad who seems to have a bad case of “Peter Pan Syndrome.” While largely absent from his now teenage daughter’s life after a not-so-friendly divorce from his wife (played by June Diane Raphael), the keenly observant “cool dad” steps up to rescue his daughter as he’s the only one who has been able to spot that her sexual orientation does not match up with that of her best friends.
While Mann shines as a strong female lead who can easily out-funny just about anyone on-screen, Cena and Barinholtz joyously match her wit, bringing to life distinctively different characters. WWE superstar Cena plays Mitchell, an overprotective father with a good heart, who, partially thanks to his wife Marcie (Sarayu Blue), gets schooled a bit on what it means to be (and raise) an empowered young female in today’s society.
Mann is the single mom of the bunch, who, as the old story goes, does not want her little girl to move too far away for college and manages to cross a few lines; as to ensure her daughter doesn’t make the same “mistakes” she did in life.
Since meeting on the very-first day of school, their three girls instantly became the best of friends. Julie, Kayla and Sam (Kathryn Newton, Geraldine Viswanathan and Gideon Adlon) share all the ups and downs of adolescence together, leading up to their senior year of high school, where in the midst of a multitude of selfies, they come up with #SexPact2018. While thoughts of “American Pie” might come to mind, this story is vastly different. Each young, culturally diverse female lead has their own (very grown-up) idea about why they want to lose their virginity and the people they want to be with.
Julie is in a monogamous relationship with a boy she cares for, whom she also hopes to go away to college with. Kayla is ready to test the waters, funny enough, with her science partner (because who better to experiment with). Sam, on the other hand, has yet to come out to her friends and family. And while her date is quite a sweet character, it’s actually her girl crush (played by Ramona Young) she is dreaming of.
In the end, each young woman proves to be quite capable of making their own decisions, despite their parents’ outlandish behavior. In fact, it was really the trio of adults here who needed to learn a few lessons. First of all, never read your teenager’s text messages. If you do, make sure you speak emoji. Second, trust that you taught them well enough to make good choices. Remember, back in The Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff days, you were a teenager, too. And lastly, while chasing after your kids on prom night might lead you to butt beer bongs and accidental sex games with Gina Gershon and Gary Cole, it’s best just to let life play out and go grab a drink with some friends.
