Bill Burr is one of the most talented and funniest comedians working today. He’s the kind of guy who never plays it safe and speaks his mind, but also isn’t afraid to be self-deprecating. He may be an acquired taste for some, just look at the response to his hilarious SNL monologue back in 2020, but the man has some serious skill when it comes to stand-up comedy. Hell, even his transition into acting has been much better than other stand-up comedians, having given strong performances in projects like The King of Staten Island, The Front Runner, Breaking Bad, and The Mandalorian.

As you can likely tell, I’m not only a fan of Burr’s, but also an admirer of his craft. When it was announced that the foul-mouthed jokester would be making his directorial debut with the R-rated comedy Old Dads, I was immediately interested. Why wouldn’t I be? But the fact that the film is being dumped on Netflix with very little promotion should have been a warning sign.

What Is ‘Old Dads’ About?
Image via Netflix

Within the first minute of Old Dads, Jack (Burr) begins riffing on vegans and canceling people on Twitter. While Burr’s stand-up has always aimed at how fragile people have gotten over silly little things, it never has felt as shallow as the first 20 minutes of Old Dads. To say the opening of this film is rough is putting it lightly.

Jack became a father at 46 years old and his wife Leah (Katie Aselton) is pregnant with their second child. Money has been a bit of an issue for the couple, as Jack and Leah want to send their young son Nate (Dash McCloud) to an expensive Kindergarten. In order to earn some extra cash, Jack, along with his two best friends and fellow “old dads” Connor (Bobby Cannavale) and Mike (Bookeem Woodbine), have recently sold their sports apparel company, but have come to regret that decision with the arrival of the company’s new CEO Aspen Bell (Miles Robbins), an irritating millennial who gives the company a massive and unwanted overhaul.

Long story short, Jack is extremely stressed out, and his rage has hit a boiling point, especially after he calls Nate’s ultra-progressive preschool principal (Rachael Harris) the c-word. Outside of that, there’s not much to the story of Old Dads. It mainly consists of a series of escapades that force Jack, Connor, and Mike to interact with millennials and Gen Z while also having to learn how to act their own age.

‘Old Dads’ Aims to Offend, but Instead Underwhelms
Image via Netflix

As a comedian, Burr is no stranger to stirring the pot, and he is fully aware that his humor might not be for everyone, so it’s not shocking that Old Dads feels like a comedy from a bygone era. The humor relies heavily on these characters saying the most politically incorrect things imaginable as well as hammering home the message of how younger generations have become so weak and sensitive. Series like South Park are still able to have this kind of humor, but it has a point, and it uses its comedy to create commentary on contemporary issues. While the humor in Old Dads at times feels self-deprecating, especially since Jack, Connor, and Mike are constantly screwing up, most of the film’s jokes are relegated to trying to be offensive, but instead coming off as underwhelming and tired.

The film as a whole just feels unremarkable and simplistic. Old Dads isn’t bad because it might offend some of its audience. It’s bad because it feels pointless. The humor on display isn’t anything new, and a majority of the jokes are ones that Burr has done a hundred times better in his stand-up comedy and on his Netflix series F is for Family.

Even as someone who had a great time watching Strays, which was just 90 minutes of dogs cursing and talking about sex, Old Dads is rather lackluster. Heck, I still enjoy watching Wedding Crashers from time to time. The difference between Old Dads and those movies is that this film thinks it’s saying something, but it’s not saying anything at all.

The Chemistry Between the ‘Old Dads’ Makes the Movie Bearable
Image via Netflix

What ends up making Old Dads somewhat watchable is the chemistry between the titular trio. Burr, Cannavale, and Woodbine feel like natural friends, and the comedic beats that do work are because of their interactions with one another. Burr’s Jack is literally just the comedian’s stage presence brought to life as a movie character and, while he might not always be the most likable guy in the world, he does have a soft spot for his young son. Old Dads does have a heart and it’s not as cynical or as mean-spirited as you might think. However, this comes at the cost of contrasting with the movie’s overall tone.

Cannavale is the biggest highlight of the cast and, while the actor might be best known for his more dramatic roles like in Boardwalk Empire, he’s also proven himself as a gifted funnyman as well. His character, Connor, is basically the “happy-go-lucky” one of the group, and Cannavale nails the role. From writing “love letters” to Burr about how he’s got into Joel Osteen minus “the God stuff,” to his desperate attempts to learn and understand millennial lingo, Cannavale delivers the film’s biggest laughs. Woodbine doesn’t get as much to do as his two co-stars, as his character is the straight man of the group, but he does play off Burr and Cannavale exceptionally well.

You can tell that everybody on the set of Old Dads was having an absolute blast making this movie. It’s just a shame that the end product feels so directionless and bland. The attempts to be offensive fail, the emotional beats are never effective, and despite a handful of good laughs and amusing cameos, it’s never that funny. Burr is a force to be reckoned with on the stage, but his directorial debut is the exact opposite.

Rating: D+

The Big Picture

Bill Burr’s directorial debut film, Old Dads, falls flat with underwhelming and tired jokes that aim to offend but ultimately lack substance. The chemistry between Burr, Cannavale, and Woodbine is the only redeeming quality of the film, with the trio’s interactions providing some comedic beats. Despite a few laughs and amusing cameos, Old Dads feels unremarkable, directionless, and fails to deliver the humor and impact seen in Burr’s stand-up comedy and previous works.

Old Dads is available to stream on Netflix starting October 20.