An opening credits montage tells us that Bert is an overweight stand-up comedian whose signature routine involves him being a loud, drunk, shirtless, annoying party boy telling an outrageous story about his involvement with the Russian mafia as a student in a train robbery in Russia), a character he has possibly outgrown. We know this because the montage leads to family therapy where we learn that his behaviour has alienated his 16 year old daughter. His relationship with has father was never great to start off with, and certainly shows no signs of improving.
I knew nothing about this film going in, and I'm glad I didn't because it was a joy finding out. There were less than 10 of us in a 100+ screen, and there was a lot of audible laughter as this ridiculous but highly entertaining tale unfolded, complete with gory and ostensibly real bursts of gunplay and martial arts sequences.
The story cleverly layered in parallel commentaries on parent/child dysfuntioality between Bert and his daughter, his father and Bert, and the Russian mafia patriarch and his children. Even Igor had a point to make in that context.
Bert started out as one of those loud obnoxious characters which American cinema seems to think are screamingly funny. I don't. But Bert coupled this with a touching vulnerabilty and a likeably growth in his character arc. This film was pretty up-front and in-your-face, but there was also surprising depth and subtlety here.
I really enjoyed it.
Then I went online and discovered Bert Kreischer is a real person, and the opening montage iscall true, and now I don't know what to think...
I knew nothing about this film going in, and I'm glad I didn't because it was a joy finding out. There were less than 10 of us in a 100+ screen, and there was a lot of audible laughter as this ridiculous but highly entertaining tale unfolded, complete with gory and ostensibly real bursts of gunplay and martial arts sequences.
The story cleverly layered in parallel commentaries on parent/child dysfuntioality between Bert and his daughter, his father and Bert, and the Russian mafia patriarch and his children. Even Igor had a point to make in that context.
Bert started out as one of those loud obnoxious characters which American cinema seems to think are screamingly funny. I don't. But Bert coupled this with a touching vulnerabilty and a likeably growth in his character arc. This film was pretty up-front and in-your-face, but there was also surprising depth and subtlety here.
I really enjoyed it.
Then I went online and discovered Bert Kreischer is a real person, and the opening montage iscall true, and now I don't know what to think...