The Brothers Grimsby (2016)

The Brothers Grimsby (2016)

6/10

Starring

Sacha Baron Cohen

Mark Strong

Rebel Wilson

Penélope Cruz

Isla Fisher

Directed by Louis Leterrier

The Brothers Grimsby is a movie that, in its own way, stamps the idea of MI6 into the ground and then pisses on it. In this hilariously and unbelievably gross film, Sacha Baron Cohen made me laugh, and I couldn’t believe Mark Strong could perform such ridiculousness with a straight face. I actually found the movie delightful and fun.

The movie doesn’t even try to make the scenes reasonable. It starts ridiculous and finishes ridiculous, leaving you, the viewer, crossing your legs more often than you’d like.

Two years ago, Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) added a lot of comedy, flips, and Jackie Chan-style martial arts to the James Bond formula. They nailed it, and the movie was both a critical and commercial success, with a sequel in the works. The Brothers Grimsby attempts to make the British secret service even funnier and a lot grosser. While it wasn’t well-received by critics or fans, I think it was well done.

The movie was both a critical and commercial failure, and a lot of that blame falls on the marketing. I, along with some of my friends, had no idea this movie even existed until a buddy told me it was something I’d enjoy.

As usual for a Sacha Baron Cohen movie, the antics are ridiculous. It’s packed with sexual references and a ton of gross-out moments. The movie takes MI6 seriously, but Sacha’s presence turns a serious mission into a complete catastrophe.

The two leads, Sacha and Mark Strong, outshine their supporting cast. Their performances are more believable, while the supporting characters are written to be so over-the-top that they barely make sense.

The movie is about two brothers who were separated as children: Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Sebastian (Mark Strong). Nobby grows up to be a twat with nine kids, while Sebastian becomes a secret agent working for MI6.

Their paths cross when Sebastian is on a mission. After decades apart, Nobby recognizes his brother through some weird luck and ends up jeopardizing the entire operation. This leads to the death of a WHO general and the infection of a certain Harry Potter actor (Daniel Radcliffe) with AIDS.

Sebastian becomes the chief suspect for the death and the AIDS outbreak, thanks to Nobby, and now he must go underground with his brother’s help. Together, they have to find the person responsible and save the world.

Crazy movie, but fun to see.