Keep it Reel: 'Blockers'
By Marc Woodfork
John Cena, Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz play parents who find out their daughters have made a sex pact to happen on the night of their prom, and they decide to intervene and stop that from occurring. At face value, it may seem like we've seen all this before, but what sets this apart from the other similar films is the surprisingly strong and well-written characters.
In order for a film like this to work, it can't take itself to seriously. "Blockers" certainly does not. The film is filled with raunch and sexual innuendo as you would expect, but it also tries to bring attention to gender sexual roles without being too preachy.
John Cena has become a hilarious comedic actor. There are many moments where he steals the scene from veteran comedian Leslie Mann. You get all the punchlines and cliche one-liners, but the script is written well enough that it doesn't become overbearing and tiresome. The jokes are well placed and delivered perfectly.
Parents of teenage daughters will certainly relate to many of the circumstances seen in the film, especially fathers. There's just enough sentimentality and heart that even the toughest dad may get a bit choked up.
"Blockers" is in many ways is exactly what you expect it to be. But it's also a lot more than meets the eye. Be sure to stick around for the mid-end credit scene, it's probably a parent -- or child's -- worst nightmare.