Despite its strange box office success and recent Netflix comeback, Dirty Grandpa is generally considered the low point of Robert De Niro’s acting career. The movie, which was condemned for being particularly unfunny when it was first released, has managed to become one of Netflix’s most-watched films since it debuted on the streaming service.
It appears highly improbable that a sequel to the bawdy 2016 comedy will ever be produced, despite Hollywood’s tendency to produce sequels that no one requested based on their estimated profitability.
In Dirty Grandpa, De Niro portrays the cunning Dick Kelly, while Zac Efron plays his grandson as they travel to and across Florida for Spring Break. The cast of Dirty Grandpa is completed by Aubrey Plaza, Zoey Deutch, Julianne Hough, and Dermot Mulroney. Danny Glover also makes an appearance as De Niro’s former Army friend.
Critics and viewers alike were incensed by the film’s blatantly offensive humor and expressed disapproval of the participation of a movie icon such as De Niro, despite its considerable star power.
It’s Hard to Make Dirty Grandpa 2 After Dirty Grandpa
Success at the box office and on streaming services can undoubtedly help make sequels a reality, but in the case of Dirty Grandpa, there are just too many additional obstacles in the way. First of all, it’s very obvious that De Niro wouldn’t want to come back. It is not unexpected that the legendary actor declined to conduct publicity for the first picture because it was so awful that it hurt his reputation.
Both spectators and critics were left wondering why an actor with his background and reputation would willingly participate in a comedy that relies on shock humor and derogatory remarks against minorities.
Given that Dirty Grandpa had a budget of about $25 million, its $105 million box office receipts were clearly a success. That would typically be sufficient to offset some unfavorable critical reception, but Dirty Grandpa received nearly universal criticism.
Even the often sympathetic crowd gave it a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics gave it an unimaginable 10%. It received nominations for four Golden Raspberries: Worst Actor for De Niro, Worst Picture, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Supporting Actress (for some reason, both Julianne Hough and Aubrey Plaza received nominations). Even if the producers are successful in getting De Niro to return, that kind of criticism just won’t lead to a sequel.
There Should Never Be a Dirty Grandpa Sequel
Even if everything lined up for a sequel, it shouldn’t be permitted to happen. Dirty Grandpa received some of the worst criticism for its exploitation of racism, misogyny, and homophobia for comedic effect, all of which were deemed disrespectful and fundamentally unfunny.
There is really no reason to bring up that type of humor in any film, much less one that was hailed by many as the worst of 2016.
Another issue with a sequel is that, despite its looseness and shallowness, the notion only had potential because of the people who were engaged. Robert De Niro and Zac Efron’s bromance road trip comedy attracted a lot of moviegoers, and now probably streamers. When De Niro is absent, the result is a very simple comedy devoid of charm.
Everyone involved, from Danny Glover to De Niro fans, would prefer that there be no sequel to Dirty Grandpa since movie was so awful for so many reasons
Despite its success at the movie office, “Dirty Grandpa” had many wondering if a sequel would be a bust due to its controversial humor and unfavorable reaction. Should we even consider the possibility of Dirty Grandpa 2 given Robert De Niro’s unexpected comeback and the negative reviews the movie has received?
For a more thorough examination of why Dirty Grandpa is better suited as a stand-alone movie and why a sequel is a horrible idea, visit our website. We look at how the movie affected De Niro’s career and the risks of making money off of contentious humor