World's Greatest Dad review

I urge you (more than likely next month when it hits DVD) to see the first funny Robin Williams comedy since "The Birdcage". And I say that having actually combed through his imdb profile and discovering that he hasn't made one movie I've found funny since then... seriously. His dramatic work on the other hand is actually quite impressive and the only draw back is that those films aren't quite the financial success. So now we movie to "World's Greatest Dad" perhaps the best dark comedy he's ever done and it is quite dark. Williams plays Lance Clayton, a teacher who aspires to be on author and has tried several times to get published.

Lance is also a single father and his son Kyle (played by Daryl Sabara of "Spy Kids") is for lack of a better term an asshole. He's mean, sexist, obsessed with masturbation and is highly disrespectful to his father. Much as this may seem like it's going to be a run-of-the-hill bad son, good dad movie... it takes one hell of a left turn about twenty minutes in. I would like to say what happens... but spoiling it would ruin the moment I feel. In any case the aftermath is what defines the rest of the picture. It's a bit of parody about people after tragedy and how they tend to act like they care more. The movie gets it all down to the nugget and is almost completely great, although there's something a little left empty in me with the ending. It fits, but not all the way.

"World's Greatest Dad" is written and directed by Bobcat Goldhwait, who you might remember as a stand up comedian and actor who has for the past few years directed tons of episodes of "Reno 911!" and "Chappelle's Show". This is perhaps the best thing he's done with his career and if he can keep making films this funny and intelligent then he's going to come back in a big way. Williams' performance is one that really plays into his wittier brand of humor, but also uses his dramatic chops which creates a great blend. Further more dark comedies are harder to come by now-a-days, not unlike pure mystery films. Here is a prime example of good story telling and comedy that most people are going to overlook because it's a small release film. But I'm saying watching it. Theatrically it's just about gone, but it'll be on DVD the first week of December. Pick it up. And for an added bonus pick up Terry Zwigoff's "Art School Confidential". One of the few stand out dark comedies of the 2000's that people missed out on.

"World's Greatest Dad" *** 1/2 out of ****