Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

The War with Grandpa Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 18, 2021

The War with Grandpa was several years delayed coming to theaters in the fallout of the Weinstein Company closure, but it's not like the world was waiting with baited breath for this movie. Make no mistake, it's a capable entertainer and a perfectly fun escape, but it's best enjoyed in the moment rather than in the prism of some kind of imminent cinema legacy. It's a safe, family-friendly film with some fun gags and solid performances. It's hardly brilliant but it's also far from horrible, residing in a middle ground mediocrity where its serviceable humor and modest charm make it a fine one-and-done viewing experience.

Truce?

Peter’s (Oakes Fegley) Grandfather Ed (Robert De Niro) has moved in following an “incident” at a grocery store with an uncooperative self checkout machine and an overzealous store clerk. Add to that the very obvious signs that he’s no longer capable of taking care of himself the way he once did and something’s got to give. Ed's daughter Sally (Uma Thurman), Peter’s mom, spearheads the idea that grandpa move in with her and Peter, her husband Arthur (Rob Riggle), and her daughters Mia (Laura Marano) and Jenny (Poppy Gagnon). The girls are already sharing a room, and space is tight, so the only place to move grandpa is into Peter’s room. Peter is moved up to the attic, the place “where you put stuff and forget it.” It’s dusty, decrepit, and full of junk. He loves his grandpa, but he’s not at all thrilled with the idea, never mind the inconvenience, the discomfort, and the principle of it. Peter is despondent and his friends urge him to wage war on grandpa, to reclaim what is his, to stand up for his rights. When its clear that Peter can’t live in the attic – there are bats, rats, and a leaky roof – he sends Ed a declaration of war, inspired by his studies of the nation’s founding. What follows is a battle of the wills and the creative minds in a game of supremacy to see which family member will relent first, if age and experience or youth and stamina will win the day.

As the film moves into its second act, Peter and Ed engage in a tit for tat warfare in which they exchange blows, not so much physical assaults but rather psychological warfare campaigns meant to demoralize the other. Some of them leave some battle scars, though. Peter replaces Ed’s shaving cream with a quick set adhesive foam. Ed loosens the screws on all of Peter’s furniture so he falls out of his chair and his bed collapses underneath him. Some of it is aimed more at life than body, like when Ed replaced Peter’s homework with some work of his own or when he destroys Peter’s pride and joy castle he’s built in a video game. It is this stretch where the movie is at its funniest and most breezily paced. The third act sees the war taken to a new level when Peter enlists some of his friends, and Ed a few of his own (including pairing De Niro with Jane Seymour, Cheech Marin, and once again with Christopher Walken), for a battle royale pitting young against old with the war's outcome hanging in the balance.

The film keeps things light and accessible, family friendly and unburdened by needless character beats. The side characters -- Peter's mom and dad and sisters and friends, Ed's friends -- are given hints of character depth that don't make a major impact on the movie but do help to fill in a few gaps and help the audience understand where each is coming from. Walken's character lives a bachelor's life that would be the envy of any college student. Peter's older sister is getting serious with her boyfriend. Ed, a widow, finds himself drawn to a Fry's checker played by Jane Seymour. One of Peter's friends is under constant assault from his big sister. These make for modestly agreeable asides that don't take the focus away from the war but that do offer necessary reprieves from it, as well as provide the main characters some different life perspectives on it. The ensemble is great. Enthusiasm abounds and natural chemistry emerges within the family unit, enhancing the humor and building an agreeable little movie that doesn't rise to the top but does generate enough goodwill to make a watch a worthwhile family experience.

The War with Grandpa Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The War with Grandpa's 1080p transfer is excellent start to finish. From the first shot outside of school, the picture reveals its high-quality output, most obviously with the barrage of well saturated colors. The diverse palette leaps off the screen as a myriad of clothing tones play nicely against both green grass and blue sky. Colors remain stout and vibrant for the duration, with even the dank, dark, and less dynamic attic setting finding good balance and saturation, including some positive black level depth. Details are razor-sharp, too. The picture maintains firm definition corner to corner in most every frame. Facial close-ups are excellently rendered, but so too are small signs of wear around the house, again particularly in the attic but also on various furnishings through the rest of the home, too. Ditto the school cafeteria or classrooms, the Fry's electronics store, and other key locales scattered throughout the film. Viewers will spot only trace levels of noise. The heaviest output comes during a couple of outdoor establishing shots at the 24:24 mark, a bright daylight exterior. There are no other source or encode flubs to note. This is a very nice looking Blu-ray from Universal.

The War with Grandpa Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The War with Grandpa engages in the fight on Blu-ray with a well-rounded DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation delights in all facets, offering energetic music across a variety of score and popular songs, all of them playing with spirited volume, lengthy front-side stretch, balanced surround integration, and firm low end support. A few of the more "intensive" action scenes – when Peter's furniture collapses, for example – play with quality placement and detail. The track offers several examples of background atmosphere, notably in school hallways and cafeterias which represent most of the busy locations in the movie. Dialogue is clear, well prioritized around other sonic components, and plays with a firm front-center placement.

The War with Grandpa Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of The War with Grandpa contains no supplemental content. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

The War with Grandpa Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The War with Grandpa doesn't scream "replay value" which makes a purchase at full price difficult to recommend. The movie is fun enough and well made in all the right ways, and it might be worth enjoying for a second or third time years down the line. For those watching via Blu-ray, the picture and sound qualities are just fine. The complete absence of supplemental content further renders a purchase less viable. Worth a rental for sure and a buy at Black Friday prices.