Rented (for too much money) the new Judd Apatow / Pete Davidson comedy The King of Staten Island. This is another theatrical loss with a $20 rental fee (a great deal for a family, less so a single person watching) and it’s tough to recommend at that price.
King of Staten Island stars Davidson in a semi-autobiographical, aimless, shambling dramedy about a lay-about stoner who… I dunno… does stuff. Sometimes. It’s kind of a coming-of-age comedy about a guy who should have come-of-age a decade earlier. But that’s in Pete Davidson’s wheelhouse – that’s his lackadaisical shtick – so he’s certainly well cast.
And, for a movie where things just happen even though not much happens for over two hours, I was kind of into the movie. It’s not great and the typical ending where the hero learns something or grows is short-changed by some of the most limited growth of any character in any movie. But I suspect that’s the point… he’s such a lazy do-nothing, that the bare minimum is an improvement. Three cheers?
So, yeah, the movie is all right and worth watching though maybe at a lower cost of entry. If you love Judd Apatow’s somewhat shaggy and long comedies or you dig Pete Davidson’s thang, maybe it’s more up your alley. You could do worse as long as you don’t set your expectations too high or demand, you know, a focused plot about keen-minded people.
Score: 82