Dirty Grandpa had potential to be a good gross-out comedy, but it’s mostly just gross.

All filmmaking effort has gone into shocking punchlines, but the intended humour requires a relatable setup which is sorely lacking. In Dirty Grandpa the events that lead to an awkward situation are often so unbelievable that the joke feels forced.

Even the visual comedy suffers from being shot with zero imagination, giving setups the taste of a flat soft drink.

But some fizz remains as Aubrey Plaza and Robert De Niro rise above the sub-standard script to give the film some character.

The reliance on gross-out humour rarely pays off. When it does, Dirty Grandpa is somewhat redeemed by providing De Niro with one of his more memorable recent performances.

RATING: 2/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Jason Mantzoukas

DIRECTOR: Dan Mazer

WRITER: John Phillips

SYNOPSIS: The day after his wife’s funeral, Dick Kelly (De Niro) takes his uptight grandson (Efron) to Daytona beach in the hopes of partying, and having sex with a college student on spring break.