You can scratch off Peter Farrelly’s “The Greatest Beer Run” from your predictions. It’s pretty bland and this comes from someone who genuinely liked Farrelly’s “Green Book.”
The comedic timing of “Green Book” is gone here. So are the excellent performances. There’s no Mahershala or Viggo. Instead, we have Zac Efron and a ridiculous, but true, story about a Vietnam-bound man-child who just wants to bring beers to his buddies fighting the war.
It has its moments, Efron isn’t bad in the lead role, but it falls flat in so many scenes. The film is 126 minutes long and almost every minute of it is felt. Even the usually easy-to-please Roy Thompson Hall audience was curiously quiet throughout the screening of this comedy.
Most critics are in agreement with me: Screen, The Wrap, The Daily Beast and Cinema Blend are panning it.
Please Apple, for the love of God, unless you actually want a Will Smith vehicle (“Emancipation”) to be your top awards horse, then release “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Just nudge Thelma and Marty, tell them this season is WIDE OPEN for their film to be crowned with Oscar glory.
That’s it for me in Toronto. I’ll have a wrapup of the fest live tomorrow morning. As well as my latest Best Picture race overview. It’s been a mediocre lineup, but the same could be said about any other fest this year. Now, this past May’s Cannes doesn’t look bad at all.