HOLLYWOOD—When do you recall the last time watching a comedy that was so original, so side-splitting funny that it hurt your stomach? To be honest, I cannot recall the last time it happened, but the comedy “Good Boys” left me in stitches (in a good way America). Originality in comedy is a hard thing to accomplish, but writers Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky craft a hilarious premise and tale here. The movie revolves around three tweens, yes; I’m saying tweens because the boys haven’t quite reached their teenage years yet.
We have buddies Max (Jacob Tremblay), Lucas (Keith L. Williams) and Thor (Brady Noon), who are all thick as thieves. Max is considered normal amongst his peers, while Thor and Lucas are seen as oddballs. However, Max doesn’t abandon his pals as he receives an invitation to attend a party where Max might get the opportunity to kiss the girl of his dreams. I mean it’s definitely something all guys can relate to. That girl you had that crush on who doesn’t really know it, and you might get the opportunity to pure your heart out America.
“Good Boys” is a tale about going for that first kiss and making sure that it’s perfect. Advice to Max and company, the first kiss is never perfect, but practice makes perfect. The antics these boys get into are crude, hilarious and at times leave you speechless. I mean they use a drone to spy on a neighbor, they cross the freeway in the middle of utter chaos; they indulge in an adult swing that is the funniest thing I’ve seen in years. I don’t want to talk too much about it, out of fear of lessening the blow you receive when watching it play out on the big screen.
You toss in a bit of drugs, and then the chaos ramps up even faster. The antics keep reaching levels that you least expect and that is why this comedy works so well. At its core, it’s a tale about friendship, how childhood friends don’t always remain best buddies as they age. People grow up, people grow apart, people make new friends and life just delivers curveballs that sometimes you don’t expect to happen. Also that transition from grad school to middle school is extremely difficult for most kids and “Good Boys” finds a way to highlight that difficulty without it being overly dramatic.
Tremblay is terrific in the role and is continuing to showcase his acting talents and diversity since his breakout role in “Room.” Williams is absolute hilarity as the wild card, and Noon is the calm character caught between the middle of two of his besties. You may think some of the teasers seen in the trailer and TV spots reveal too much for the movie, but trust me you not seen anything like “Good Boys” and is you are looking for a hearty laugh look no further.