Gringo (Review)

Man, I’m Ashamed to Be a Gringo after this…

I hate to do this because the elements are all there for Gringo to be one of the best comedies of 2018 since Game Night. However, these elements seem to be missing when it comes to this film. I certainly tired waited patiently when it came to this film, but it never really manages to sell the humor in it.

Sure, I guess the drug trade is kinda funny, but it never really manages to be “funny” funny. It just turns out to be comedy designed for those that like to take a few hits before a movie, and for them, it doesn’t matter how bad the jokes are. I mean, this is stoner humor at it’s “best.” The kind of humor that sober people simply won’t get.

The thing about Gringo as the film goes on, is that the entire cast turns out to be villainous when it doesn’t have to be. It’s literally a movie about the 1% doing business with the drug cartels. In other, words no one has clean hands or is especially tolerable. Saying that Gringo is a dark movie is a bit of an understatement because there is nothing light-hearted about the film or the characters. It’s really almost impressive that it managed to make almost every character so detestable.

Charlize Theron and Joel Edgerton are the perfect villains when it comes to Gringo. They are both horrible people who easily turn against each other and never seem to grasp the full concept of the criminal elements that they are dealing with. Instead, it becomes a comedy of errors that has David Oyelowo trying to wiggle his way out of. Unfortunately, the ill-laid plans of the hero of this story make things go from bad to worse. Why might you ask? Let’s just say the red tape around insurance policies are problematic.

That’s where Sharlto Copley comes into play, a character I actually greatly appreciated in the film. However, his role was not one meant to add too much to the overall plot. I won’t lie, the moment he exited the film, I lost complete interest. Which is a shame given that I am such a huge fan of his. Honestly, of all the actors in this film, I was most excited by his addition to the cast. His performance though never really manages to elevate Gringo beyond frat humor and pot jokes.

There is never enough Sharlto in any film!Gringo is a film that never really finds its ground as a comedic movie. There are certain elements that would imply comedy there, but it never manages to bring itself together. I was incredibly disappointed with this movie, given that I’m a fan of comedies in general. Gringo though struggles with most of it’s jokes. Throwing a lot at the wall, but nothing really sticks. There are no laugh out loud moments in the film. Instead, you’re lucky to chuckle slightly as things go from bad to worse.

Gringo is a film that never seems to do its homework. Instead, it’s a fantasy comedy that is almost irritating in how lax it’s demand for thorough storytelling is. I won’t expose any spoilers for those that want to see it, but I will say that it definitely seems to be devoted to the idea of a happy ending. I’m not sure how the drug trade goes these days, but I’m pretty sure cartels don’t believe in happy endings.

I was looking forward to Gringo quite a bit. Unfortunately, I had to leave the theater disappointed. While it’es heart might be in the right place, the film becomes a convoluted mess. It’s as though it set out to be a comedy, but forgot to insert the jokes. As if that wasn’t bad enough, it also forgot to insert a memorable plot or characters.