Grandmas. They are cool.

‘Lucky Grandma’ Movie Review

Make some room, Vin Diesel. You may have some competition, and she just happens to be an eighty-five-year-old chain-smoking grandma. When I think of the word "grandma”, the instant image I have is of my dad's mom, with her grey hair, long red nails, saggy boobs, orthopedic shoes, and stale Nips (caramel flavored) in her tangerine-colored purse. This, however, is not the bubby I am talking about when describing our eighty-five-year-old leading lady in ‘Lucky Grandma’. Written by Sasie Sealey and Angela Cheng with a directorial debut for Sealy, the movie stars Tsai Chin as Grandma. She is that chic we never even find out her name! Grandma just showed us that not all grandmas smell like homemade matzo ball soup lingering so deep in their pores that no matter how hard they scrub, they still smell like chicken broth, or of the odor that wafts around the bingo hall at the senior center where the cards smell like death. I know, I know, I'm hostile. My last bingo game turned hunger game real quick when Morty, the cute retired Rabbi, yelled at me for cheating. Spoiler alert: I did, but that isn’t the point! The point is, ‘Lucky Grandma’ beat Diane Keaton in becoming the world’s coolest grandma (assuming Diane's child didn’t give birth. Google didn’t know) and as an action star and gave us the time of our lives. When Grandma accidentally gets involved with the most dangerous gang in Chinatown, she immediately lights herself a cig and gears up to protect herself. She enlists a bodyguard, who we soon discover is really no help at all, falling asleep while pulling all-nighters. I mean, can you blame him? I'm tired, and it's only 7 pm. Grams, however, will be running the streets of Chinatown at midnight, trying to find her grandson that these mobsters have taken as a hostage if she doesn't give the money back that she stole. I know, I said "accidentally" got involved, but try to cut her some slack. She saw money in a bag, on a bus, underneath the seat of a guy who was dead. It's basically free money. I am a sucker for a good action movie. I love the structure of it. Good guy, bad guy, they fight, maybe our good guy gets laid, and then the bad guy dies. The end. Yet, every time I'm still kept on my toes, my mind forgetting that Vin Diesel is not going to die in ‘Fast and Furious’ because his contract has him signed to do them until he dies. Which will be never because it's common knowledge that he is a vampire. It’s true. Google it. So why do I come back to watch Mark Wahlberg, Alicia Vikander, Jason Statham, Hugh Jackman (as the hairy wolf, not in Les Mis), Harrison Ford and more, fight off the antagonists? I need the escape! I love knowing I can be twenty-six and allowed to live in a world of make-believe. However, while I will always come back for more, I have realized that real-life action stars do exist. I am just missing them passing me on the street because they don’t have

the appearance of one that only eats steamed chicken and broccoli while benching 100-pound weights. That’s a lot right? I don’t know, I do pilates. That is why it was so delightful to watch ‘Young Grandma’. We are in real time with her as she turned action star without even knowing she had it in her! Thank you Sasie and Angela for finally proving to Hollywood that you don't have to look like Dwayne Johnson, Daniel Craig to save the day. Sometimes the most badass are those who never intended to be. Others may say Gram's time is up, but she isn't ready to trade in her freedom just yet for assisted living. She was put in a flight or fight situation and boy she fought. Sasie Sealy’s first feature is full of heart, humor, and proving for the thousandth, millionth, billionth time that not all hero’s wear capes. My Papa Allan was my hero. He taught me to be brave, face challenges head on and dream big. Isn't this what George Miller is conveying to us in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’? The same thing my Papa repeated to me is what Charlize Theron is saying to her bad-ass women tribe in ‘Mad Max’. Now before, I’m trending on Twitter with a hashtag that says #cancelberke, she is anti Charlize!! Let me be clear, I am not. I have a framed poster of her in my room, I am the president of her fan club and am the first to suggest watching one of her movies. She is a beast and will continue to be. My point is, there is room for both. Maybe this is a delightful preview for what is to come, breaking stereotypes and boundaries in a way that seem a little more realistic. This won’t be the last time we are graced with a film by these two and I can’t wait to see what transpires next. Run, do not walk, don’t even pass the bathroom, on your way to the couch to rent this movie. Rent? Ugh, Amanda, it costs money? Then skip your Coffee Bean this week, make your own latte’s and go to bed earlier!!! (I said in the nicest, kindest, way possible. I’m not yelling, that's you projecting). Now, don't get me wrong, I will continue to spend my weekends braless, in sweatpants, re-watching the ‘Terminator’, ‘Die Hard’, and every Nolan movie ever made. As stated earlier, I love an escape and will forever need to think Los Angeles has access to Batman's personal cell number. These are hard times. ‘Lucky Grandma’ just gave me some hope that we are the cusp of ab-less characters being viewed as “action heros” and have new role models who are easier to reach. Writing this has made me realize that I miss my grandma. I should probably call her and apologize for screwing up her crab cake recipe for her bridge club. I put in too much mayo. Ugh! Anyway, dialing now! Call your grandparents ladies and gents! They are real action stars. P.S. If you are of age, re-read this and take a shot every time you see the phrase “action star”. Amanda Berke