The King of Staten Island - Review
Pete Davidson might be king, but Judd Apatow struggles to maintain focus
Director: Judd Apatow
Writers: Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus
Starring: Pete Davidson, Marisa Tomai, Bill Burr, Bel Powley, Steve Buccemi, Action Bronson
Info: R 2hr 16min Comedy, Drama Universal June 12, 2020 VOD
Grade: 2 ½ of 5 stars
While Pete Davidson often shines in his role as Scott Carlin, and even shows small signs of serious acting potential, The King of Staten Island itself is bogged-down by inconsistent pacing and gags that frequently fall flat, or go nowhere.
The story closely follows Davidson's own life. Scott Carlin is a delinquent, but aspiring tattoo artist in his mid-twenties living with his mother and younger sister, who is preparing to start college. Meanwhile he continues to struggle with physical and mental illness trying to cope with the death of his father, a 911 firefighter. In many ways he is playing himself. But that’s not to say that he doesn’t bring emotional skill to the role—indeed he does. Just enough to make me wonder if there isn’t more talent hiding behind his funny exterior, similar to what Jamie Foxx showed in the action/comedy flop Bait in 2000. And look what happened to him after that.
However, even though Davidson works, much of the movie struggles to find footing, especially in the first hour which manically plods along without much direction, much like Scott, to the point where you’re wondering what the story is really about. Much of what is wrong with TKoSI can, unfortunately, be blamed on writer/director, Judd Apatow. Typically, I like Apatow’s work, but he needed to trim the fat and get to the actual story. It often seems even he doesn’t understand the story he is trying to tell.
When Scott’s not wasting time with his moronic gang of misfit friends, he’s pushing away the only girl in all of New York, who for some reason, really wants a relationship with him. Her motivations are never made clear. It’s not until we meet Ray Bishop (Bill Burr), an active Fireman Scott deeply offends, that the story finally picks up a little steam.
Ray starts dating Scott’s Mom, Margie (Marisa Tomei), much to the chagrin of Scott. They feud but eventually start to bond and his mom asks him to move out. He moves into the firehouse that Ray works at, and meets other firemen that knew his dad and finally the healing can begin. However, most of the talent in the cast, like Burr, Tomai, and Bucemmi, go largely under-utilized.
Though most of the punchlines are stale, it’s not without its laughs. Rapper Action Bronson makes an hilarious cameo as a gunshot victim, in what is both the funniest and most heart-warming part of the whole movie. It’s not that it’s not worth seeing. You might just want to wait until it doesn't cost $20 on VOD. I would like to have spent more time developing his would-be love interest, Kelsey (Bel Powley), or getting to know the firemen better; instead, we waste time and focus listening to bad jokes from his idiot friends. We get it--They're losers. Let’s move on.
