Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Bad Grandpa .5 gives you a whole new perspective on the world of Irving Zisman with bonus scenes and pranks also featuring Spike Jonze as "Gloria" and Catherine Keener as Irving's wife "Ellie", plus a look at the evolution of Johnny Knoxville's naughty alter-ego, the makeup effects, and a behind-the-scenes peek at the idiocy it takes to make a hidden camera movie in public.
Bad Grandpa .5 is essentially a behind-the-scenes/deleted scenes companion piece to the original Bad Grandpa, offering little in the way of new narrative or fresh pranks. The plot structure is minimal — it's a loose assemblage of bonus footage and making-of material. Knoxville's Irving Zisman character remains an entertaining creation and the makeup work is genuinely impressive, bumping Acting slightly. Cinematography is functional hidden-camera work with no particular artistry. Novelty suffers as this is a supplemental cash-in rather than a standalone creative endeavor. The ending has no real arc to resolve. Sits well below the original in terms of impact and conception.