Robert De Niro is widely considered the godfather of the gangster movie, and the Hollywood legend also has a funny side. After putting in a good comedy showing with Meet the Parents and its sequels, in 2013, he joined forces with Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones under the direction of Luc Besson to deliver an action comedy that really should have seen him swimming with the fishes. More than a decade later, though, it has surfaced on the Tubi free streaming chart for another appraisal.
The Family is a movie that seemed to be teeing itself up for a strong box office win, but when all was said and done, it missed the mark thanks to some very inconsistent tonal changes that suggested it couldn’t decide what kind of movie it actually wanted to be. To make things worse, the reviews were brutal, with one even going as far as to say, “The only people who like this movie are dumb Americans with their penchant for senseless violence.” The film’s plot runs a little like this:
“After ratting out his Mafia cohorts, Giovanni Manzoni (Robert De Niro) and his family enter the Witness Protection Program and relocate to a French town. Despite the best efforts of their handler (Tommy Lee Jones) to keep them in line, Giovanni (now called Fred Blake), his wife (Michelle Pfeiffer) and children (Dianna Agron, John D’Leo) can’t help but resort to doing things the “family” way. However, their dependence on such old habits places everyone in danger from vengeful mobsters.”
‘The Family’ Was Not a Great Film
Luc Besson made his name with visionary movies like The Fifth Element, and is this year releasing his take on Dracula – which is unlike any that have gone before it. However, The Family is not a movie that he would probably promote as one of his better movies, something that could also go for the cast involved in the movie.
The film managed to gross just over $78 million in cinemas, enough to make back its $35 million budget and not become a complete flop. However, it was very touch and go, especially as the reviews were anything but positive. Criticized for “corny gags” and “suffering an extreme case of advanced tonal disorder,” The Family scuffled its way to a 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the London Evening Standard‘s Charlotte O’Sullivan saying that “De Niro is happy to cannibalise his glorious past, but for those of us who love him, it’s like sucking on old bones.” Delightful.
The audience Popcornmeter stands at 41%, which in itself is not a ringing endorsement to rush to your remote and watch it right now – even though it is free on Tubi and many people are doing just that. Although it has more support from viewers than it did from critics, the overarching negativity towards the film makes it questionable there is any worth in seeking it out. “Even this talented cast can’t overcome the bad script,” says one review, with another adding, “Atrocious and tone deaf and unfunny and mawkish. Avoid!!!”
However, people tend to ignore reviews when they are presented with a movie on Tubi that they have never really come across before. With De Niro front and center on the poster, it is a strong-willed viewer that can resist a click.
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