When they were young, growing up in Grimsby, an English port town, brothers Nobby and Sebastian could not be separated, until their parents died.
Separated due to Sebastian being adopted and whisked off to a posh London family, Nobby stays behind, growing up to be a dim-witted hooligan.
Years later, Nobby (Sacha Baron Cohen) who now has a family of his own, still keeps his brother’s room as it was, hoping he’ll come back.
Sebastian (Mark Strong), now a hyper-capable MI6 agent, accidentally falls back into Nobby’s life when a dangerous mission brings them together.
Now Sebastian will need his idiot brother’s help to save the day.
We say, “It’s more of the same from Sacha Baron Cohen.”
HOWE: I am from Grimsby.
As the town for the setting of this film is my native home, I was at least curious about the film, but it stank. There were about two scenes in the entire movie that were filmed there: Blundell Park, home of the Mighty Mariners (Grimsby Town Football Club) and the world famous Grimsby Fish Dock Tower.
If you do venture to go see The Brothers Grimsby, just remember that my hometown itself looks nothing like this. Most of it was filmed in Essex.
TAYLOR: I’m sorry you were robbed of viewing your hometown on the big screen. That’s always disappointing.
The Brothers Grimsby as a movie is also underwhelming. It’s an action film with atypical Baron Cohen jokes thrown in, crude, rude, sometimes shocking and always genital related.
HOWE: While some of the movie made me laugh, about 80 per cent of it was more cringe worthy than giggle worthy, but I have come to terms with the fact that this is what Baron Cohen gives us. We have seen it in his other films, Borat for example, so why expect anything different this time? If you like that sort of thing, then this is the film for you. If not, I would say stay far away from it.
TAYLOR: The movie is very restricted, which means the genital jokes, while inventive, are wasted on empty seats.
If the film had been made available to kids, it probably would have been better. But this is not a Borat, Bruno or Ali G. Baron Cohen is not making a statement with The Brothers Grimsby, it’s just a scripted movie and not a very good one at that. However, it is unique. No one does Baron Cohen like Baron Cohen and you are going to see things you have never seen before. Too bad everyone has the wrong accent, eh Pete?
HOWE: I will give it this, though, Baron Cohen has tried something a little different this time. He has made an action movie and the effects are pretty good. There are car and motorbike chases and fight scenes and both are very well done, even going as far as saying they would pass in a Tom Cruise or Matt Damon movie.
– Taylor gives The Brothers Grimsby 2.5 sideburns out of 5.
– Howe gives it 2.5 flip flops out of 5.
Reel Reviews with Brian Taylor and Peter Howe appears in The Morning Star every Friday and Sunday.