‘Old Dads’ Review – Burr’s Comedy Is Far Too Safe, Clean, And Tepid

Some loathe Bill Burr, and others step into traffic defending the comedian without a working filter. However, that’s the genius of Bill Burr because he’s insulting the ones who love him and defending the ones who hate him. Burr goes to the extremes of both sides of the political aisle. Unfortunately, Burr’s directorial debut plays it too safe, clean, and far too tepid for a film that should have been Bad Moms with some serious verve. Instead, Old Dads is a comedy shadow of Burr’s persona, too afraid to piss anyone off on either side of the aisle.

Burr stars as Jack, one of the three “old” dads surrounded by Millennials and some Gen-Z parents. They find themselves behind the times in a suddenly awakened world of social issues and their miscues. Jack is 51 years old and has a five-year-old son and another child on the way with Leah (Katie Aselton). Jack loves being a dad, which is adorable. He’s a man at the point in his life where he knows nothing else matters but his family.

So, Jack and his two best friends, Connor (Bobby Cannavale) and Mike (Bokeem Woodbine) sell their vintage apparel company for extra cash and are kept on as managers. Connor has a son around the same age as Jack’s child, but he lets his wife allow their son to express himself in any way he pleases. Mike is divorced and has teenagers, but his twenty-something girlfriend drops the news that she’s pregnant.

In other words, these guys are replacing the midlife crisis purchase of a sports car with the $374,634 cost of raising a child for 18 years. Burr’s Jack deals with his overzealously woke boss, Aspen (Miles Robbins), and a school administrator (Rachael Harris), who is very conscious of identity politics and social justice. Also, a handful of adults half his age are trying to tell them how to raise their child without the requisite experience and arrogance that comes with youth.

Burr and Ben Tishler’s script has a good start and a premise that will naturally push the envelope politically. However, the script loses steam quickly. You’ll soon realize the idea is funny on paper only. The comedy needed a director behind the camera to fully grow the script beyond Burr’s standup act or late-night appearances. In fact, if you are a fan, there’s nothing more beyond that point. Well, that and a mediocre plot that follows the comedy genre tropes step by step.

For instance, when Burr goes on a restrained rant in an exaggerated scenario of reluctantly apologizing to a group of hypocritical parents for using a highly controversial term in his son’s classroom, it’s amusing. However, that’s nothing you have not heard before from his act or going on a rant about “woke” millennials spreading judgment like it’s their God-given right.

There are some genuinely inspiring moments. In particular, how Burr’s Jack becomes self-aware of his antiquated ways – during a lap dance of all places. Later, a nurse carefully takes glitter off his bald head while explaining to his wife how he will be a better father for his new infant daughter. Yet, the scenes before the guys hit Vegas desperately need more punch. Burr goes over the top with more cringe-worthy worldly observations to demonstrate jokes about himself. This leads to the realization that he needs to change his behavior to adapt to his family.

When you break it down, Old Dads is a fish-out-of-water comedy. The guys find themselves out of touch in today’s modern society with how to interact with people outside their bubble. The film has a sound message. Mainly, the only thing that matters is the love you have for your child and the love of your spouse. However, the comedy bits in the film are too tepid and familiar to even out the sweet message.

Old Dads feels like a comedy Bill Burr made to justify his standup act so he wouldn’t have to apologize for it. (The real question is why he would have to in the first place.) It appears the edgy comedian has mellowed, and that’s not a good thing. This keeps his film from being something special, and his script desperately needs the “go f*** yourself” attitude.

Old Dads will debut on Netflix on October 20, 2023. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mU01e6KjM2s]