Some people never grow up. Or maybe immaturity is a natural consequence of the middle age crisis. Anyway, beyond these debatable generalizations, it is certain that for comedy films of all time, one of the funniest typologies ever is the infantile adult, dominated by the hilarious contradiction between their appearance and their essence. Maybe this is the reason we enjoyed so much the second episode (The Dysfunctional Pirates) from the ‘Almost Grownups‘ project.
Mainly respecting the stylistic template of the cult American TV shows, director Kirk Leidy creates several hilarious sequences based on the well-known dichotomy between masculine and feminine desires, exploring some scenarios about the catastrophic formulas of adult sexual needs. It doesn’t matter if you will enjoy this short film thanks to its four main characters depicting four different versions of the nonmacho masculinity or to its comic situations focused of some men who are confronted with the adverse consequences of the imminence of andropause. This film will put a smile on your face.
When Tony gets worried about his sexual performance, he decides to ask for help from a doctor. The prescribed medication is extremely effective, but Tony’s friends abuse this miraculous treatment without being aware of the side effects. What seemed to be at first the perfect solution for the dysfunctions caused by old age becomes a catastrophe that privileges many comic contexts chaffing the sexual avidity of these men who will never grow up.
It is relatively difficult to talk about the quality of this project, as long as the demands of spectators go beyond the premise of a typical American comedy. In fact, this experiment is part of those movies that you either love or hate instinctively. But beyond that, it would be unfair to not appreciate the dynamic replies generating the comedy of language and situation that depicts the multiple valences of the male sexual crisis.
Director Kirk Leidy analyses with almost Machiavellian lucidity a few authentic situations that, although not far from certain clichés and preconceptions existing in other films of this genre, still could be enjoyable for a wide audience. ‘Almost Grownups Episode 2 (The Dysfunctional Pirates)’ is, therefore, a light experiment that, even if it doesn’t revolutionize the formal structure of its cinematic genre, can amuse anyone familiar or not witg the existential dilemmas of the characters.
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