"The King of Staten Island" is a Bit Long, but It's a Funny and Real Judd Apatow Movie
IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 15, YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR PARENTS IF YOU ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY SAY NO…IT MEANS NO!
80/100 “sweet”
By: Keaton Marcus
If you can believe it, Judd Apatow is finally back in the director's chair with his new Pete Davidson-starring comedy The King of Staten Island. As you were most likely expecting, Apatow's running time is once again pretty darn bloated, running at 2 hours 17 minutes. However, this dramedy is actually really touching, and you connect with all the characters. The mesh of drama and comedy is fantastic and there's plenty of terrific laughs. It took me back to Apatow's greatest hits, the films that are relatable and hilarious. The acting is superb, Davidson is off the charts, and the supporting cast is also excellent. The tonal shifts don't always go with each other, but if you want a good comedy, you'll get that...And more. This is also one of the best films of 2020, and it's so worth watching with friends or family for just 20 bucks. Hey, it's cheaper than heading to the theater with a group of people.
This thing tells the story of Scott Carlin (Pete Davidson) whose firefighter father died when he was only seven. He's now in his mid-20's, hasn't accomplished much, and does not know what he's going to end up doing in life. Truly in a case of arrested development, Scott is still living in his mother's (Marisa Tomei) house and is an aspiring tattoo artist. You get why I complained about the running time now, don't you? The entire plot is about a total loser trying to figure his stuff out. It tells a story that could have been made into a 90-minute film in 137 minutes. But this is Judd Apatow, all of his comedies are over two hours. That may not be enough to completely forgive this indulgent amount of time, but there are not many other flaws to nitpick at.
Pete Davidson made his bones in SNL, and besides that, he's had small roles in Trainwreck (also directed by Apatow), and the popular NBC show Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He's a funny guy, of course, but I really did connect with his character, Scott, and Davidson is just damn good in the movie. It's also quite nice to say that his performance in both the dramatic and comedic scenes are both equally solid. And because the screenwriting by both Davidson and Apatow is so clever, you can truly relate to a young man who doesn't know what the hell he's doing. The stand-out performance, however, is no doubt comedian Bill Bur who plays Scott's step-father of sorts. He's absolutely hilarious, and despite shaping up to be a bit of a jerk, in the beginning, Apatow truly develops his character. Marisa Tomei, who plays Margie Carlin, is also splendid in her role, and again, since she's given such a well-written part, it's no challenge.
The King of Staten Island is undeniably flawed, there's no arguing against that. It's overlong, and there are good chunks of the movie that feel too sentimental, and sadly, contrived. However, there are too many positives to truly dislike the film. The acting is exceptional, the direction and screenwriting sharp, and don't forget the plentiful amount of laughs. Apatow was never a perfect director (here's looking at you, This is 40), but he always, and I mean always finds some realism in his work, and I respect that. His stories are always worth telling, his characters are investing and he has always set a standard for comedies. There are barely any films in his career that I wouldn't consider above-average for the genre. And taking a look at Staten Island, it's another one to add to that list.
The final opinion is: Judd Apatow is back and better than ever in the chair with The King of Staten Island, crafting an overlong, but real and hilarious dramedy that's filled with compelling performances..$PLURGE IT
