Sacha Baron Cohen is a highly intelligent, hugely talented, and eminently successful man, having racked up two Golden Globe wins, a pair of BAFTA victories, six Primetime Emmy nominations, and three Academy Award nods for his work in both comedy and drama. As Grimsby proved, though, playing the lead role in an entirely fictional Hollywood production doesn’t play to his strengths.
The action comedy is a subgenre that’s been done to death, but there was intrigue at the prospect of seeing Cohen cut loose and indulge in some running and gunning, especially with The Transporter and The Incredible Hulk‘s Louis Leterrier at the helm. In the end, Grimsby was a box office disaster and a critical dud, and it remains the one and only time in his career so far that the actor, writer, and producer has deviated from his standard comedic template when taking top billing in a feature film.
It might have failed on both the critical and commercial fronts back in 2016, but Grimsby is nonetheless making a comeback on streaming this week. As per FlixPatrol, the tale of two long-lost brothers reconnecting to foil a sinister plot that threatens the fate of the very world has come within touching distance of Netflix’s global Top 20 chart.
Mark Strong fills the other main role as Sebastian Graves, the elite MI6 agent who discovers his sibling Nobby is his exact opposite in every way. Hijinks naturally ensue, with Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz, Isla Fisher, Annabelle Wallis, Scott Adkins, and more along for the ride, but Grimsby is an action comedy that’s neither exciting nor funny, which is the bare minimum to be expected.
Published: Jul 19, 2022 12:28 pm