13 Years Later, Robert De Niro’s Action Comedy “Only Dumb Americans Like” Is a Free Streaming Success

by

Often hailed as the most influential gangster film ever made, the actor behind it also has a knack for comedy. After successfully starring in comedies like Meet the Parents and its follow-ups, he appeared in an action comedy with Michelle Pfeiffer and Tommy Lee Jones in 2013. While the film didn’t quite hit the mark at the time, it’s recently gained attention again, appearing on Tubi’s list of popular free streaming movies.

is a movie that seemed to be teeing itself up for a strong box office win, but when all was said and done, it missed the mark thanks to some very inconsistent tonal changes that suggested it couldn’t decide what kind of movie it actually wanted to be. To make things worse, the reviews were brutal, with one even going as far as to say, “The only people who like this movie are dumb Americans with their penchant for senseless violence.” The film’s plot runs a little like this:

Giovanni Manzoni, a former Mafia member who turned informant, and his family are placed in witness protection and moved to a small French town. Though their handler tries to help them start a new, honest life, Giovanni (now going by Fred Blake), his wife, and children find it hard to break their old habits. This reliance on their former ways puts them all at risk from the mobsters they betrayed.

‘The Family’ Was Not a Great Film


Relativity Media

Luc Besson is known for imaginative films like The Fifth Element, and he’s releasing his own version of Dracula this year – a unique take on the classic story. However, The Family isn’t one of his strongest works, and the same could be said for the performances in it.

I was really hoping this movie would do well, and thankfully it managed to earn back its production costs – around $35 million – bringing in just over $78 million at the box office. It was close though! The critics weren’t kind at all. They called the humor cheesy and said the movie couldn’t decide what tone it wanted. It ended up with a pretty low 28% score on Rotten Tomatoes. One critic, Charlotte O’Sullivan from the London Evening Standard, even said watching Robert De Niro in it felt like revisiting his past glories, but in a sad way – like ‘sucking on old bones,’ which is a pretty harsh but honest description, I thought.

Currently, audience reviews are only at 41%, which isn’t a strong recommendation – despite the fact it’s available for free on Tubi and quite a few people are watching it. While viewers seem to like it slightly more than critics, the general feeling is negative, making it hard to say if it’s worth your time. One reviewer noted that even a talented cast couldn’t save a weak script, and another bluntly called it “atrocious, tone-deaf, unfunny, and overly sentimental,” advising people to avoid it.

Subscribe to our newsletter for smarter film and streaming takes

Cut through the hype and spot which films and streaming finds are actually worth your time—subscribe to the newsletter for thoughtful film analysis, clear context on critic vs audience reactions, and confident viewing recommendations.

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s
Terms of Use
and
Privacy Policy
. You can unsubscribe anytime.

People often don’t bother checking reviews when they stumble upon a new movie on Tubi. If Robert De Niro is featured on the poster, it’s hard to resist watching it!

Read More

2026-01-12 17:03