[6]

Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) stars as Frankie, a hapless fellow who is constantly humiliated on camera by his older brother, Bruce (Chris O'Dowd). After one of Bruce's videos became an internet sensation, Frankie went into isolation. But now that Bruce is getting out of rehab, their mother (Nora Dunn) convinces Frankie to give his brother a second chance. Unfortunately, Bruce is still up to his old tricks and a new, even more volatile video has hit the web. Can the brothers work together to stop the video from going viral before multiple lives are ruined?

Frankie Go Boom is a cute, passable comedy with a cast that helps to raise it a smidge above mediocrity. Lizzy Caplan (Mean Girls, Cloverfield) plays Frankie’s quirky romantic partner and Chris Noth (Sex and the City) plays her Hollywood sycophant of a father. But it’s Ron Perlman (Hellboy) who chews the most scenery as a transexual ex-con with the cyber-skills to help prevent Frankie’s internet armageddon. Some of the antics seem a little forced (there’s a bit involving a pot-bellied pig and a swimming pool), but the characters are endearing. My favorite scene is a highly awkward one-night stand that Hunnam and Caplan manage to keep both funny and sincere. Written and directed by Jordan Roberts.