Honestly, I’m mixed when it comes to Man Camp. First, I’ve been a fan of Pete Gardner from his Beer Shark Mice days at IO West in Hollywood. He’s funny, and he’s got chops. As the eager first-time father to his very adult new stepsons, Gardner’s just a little too enthusiastic and flails about when trying to impress them. My overall issue with the movie is that it maintains a smooth, comfortable comedy level of a five or six when it needs to fly at an eight or nine. In other words, it needs energy and life to chase after from start to finish.
“The strength of Man Camp is this story of a family moving on from grief.”
I found the comedy humorous but rarely laugh out loud funny. I have an appreciation for the amusing moments, like catching mom in the living room, Tim’s roommate, who pleasures himself to photos of Adam’s wife, the fact that Kevin is into cosplay and possibly LARPing. But it needed that moment that will burn itself into our memory and gives us that reason never to forget Man Camp.
The strength of Man Camp is this story of a family moving on from grief. As much as Theresa loved her husband and kids, she has to move on with her life. Deep down, the boys know this and struggle with their mother’s happiness and the new normal with Alan. That said, the way this story plays out is fairly standard and predictable. My only wish is they found a way to change up the overall storyline instead of just making that journey more outlandish.
"…the eager first-time father…He’s just a little too enthusiastic about impressing."
