Bill Burr fans did a double-take when seeing the negative reviews for his starring and directorial debut, Old Dads. Considering the comedian favorite saw mostly acclaimed responses to his stand-up specials and notable film and TV roles of late, his post-F is for Family creation left viewers soured across the board. And suffice it to say, there isn’t much redeeming about Old Dads.
Old Dads Plot Summary
Three friends in their mid-50s have a tough time in the modern world, generally butting up against all things politically correct and undergoing midlife crises as the world changes around them. With problems with kids, work, and being out of touch, the three men have a lot of misadventures in 2023.
Bill Burr – A History of Crankiness
Though Burr’s comedy antics have always provoked audiences with their push against political correctness, his stand-up character has courted no controversy since Burr actively and vocally raises attention for most liberal causes. In recent years, the “old dad” routine became his staple thanks to the animated sitcom F is for Family, where he essentially outlines the same gripes as his stand-up act. Old Dads follows the same format but goes the extra mile in raging against the modern world.
Burr’s Netflix show felt fresh enough in 2015, relying on a fair degree of sentimentality to keep viewers interested past the surface value of laughing at curse words. Where 25-minute doses seemed appropriate for F is for Family, 100 minutes of Old Dads is a stale slog without anything original to show for its efforts. Worse yet, Burr does not even stick with a vision long enough to please longtime fans or newcomers looking for an introduction; his jagged methods alienate everyone by the end, repulsing the uninitiated with his out-of-touch vitriol or losing them in the soggy feel-good ending.
Burr’s Uninspired Direction and Ill-Defined Characters
Before the ending wrap-up, Burr writes his character as an asshole but wants you to consider the nuggets of truth buried under Jack’s rage. Mostly, this translates as a parody of himself, and his co-stars do not fare much better. Bobby Cannavale plays a guy who thinks of himself as eternally hip, while Bokeem Woodbine trades in some fascinating recent supporting roles to do almost nothing as the third in the group.
Bokeem Woodbine, Bobby Cannavale, and Bill Burr in ‘Old Dads’
You could probably guess what each of them needs to resolve their character issues (which they all do in the final minutes) as their agenda unintentionally veers into borderline propaganda. Perhaps fleshing these people out as humans instead of caricatures could have saved the film, but Burr’s flat, amateurish TV-style direction further dampens the already unfunny, contrived situations.
Even Bill Burr Fans Should Be Wary
If you are a Burr fan and you want an extended comedy routine with a sappy ending, Old Dads might be for you, but most others will start and leave the film with the impression of unoriginality and artifice. Given the crudeness of the old dads’ dialogue, we cannot expect to root for these people or care when they get on the path to fixing their problems. Burr, Cannavale, and Woodbine have done better and will hopefully continue to do so, provided they can tap into saying anything that matters to or moves their viewers.
Old Dads is streaming now on Netflix.