Jacob O’Neal reviewedJune 7, 2025
There are moments throughout this film that are funny and inspired. Then there’s the rest of the movie. I love Tommy Chong. I thought it was fun that he put his family in the film - Shelby (wife), Paris (son), Rae Dawn (daughter) and C. Thomas Howell (former son-in-law) all in featured roles. But Paris was no actor. Tommy was alright, but really needed a comedy partner to pull out the right energy. This felt like a Cheech & Chong movie like The Search For Pink Panther was a Pink Panther - it tried to match the quality, but a vital piece was missing.
Funny enough, I also watched Born In East LA today. Although flawed, Cheech at least branched out beyond the character that made him famous and was more successful for it. Tommy leaned into who he thought audiences wanted. It worked on That 70’s Show because of the nature of the series, but he is more than a burnt out stoner character he portrays. Too bad Far Out Man didn’t tap more into that side of him. Still, it’s fun. If you’re a fan of Tommy Chong then you’ll find enough to satisfy you.