Parents' Guide to Sumotherhood

Another urban comedy from actor, writer, and director Deacon, this British film revisits familiar territory of underdog characters yearning for status and wealth. Sumotherhood takes the viewer on a ride with a duo of clueless wannabe gangsters -- Deacon's hyperactive bipolar Riko and his similarly erratic best friend Kane, played by Zonzolo. With the dialogue leaning heavily into modern East End London slang and delivered at a helter-skelter pace, the action swiftly moves from one set piece to the next. This works well in the early stages, setting up the characters' world and explaining their various dilemmas. But a lack of variety means the jokes often repeat themselves and the story struggles to develop Riko and Kane's relationship, which would normally be the heartbeat of this kind of madcap buddy movie.

Rather than focusing on plot, it's left to a clutch of single-scene cameos from a range of famous faces to provide the surprises. Pop megastar Ed Sheeran tearing through a skit as a drug-addled character called "Crack Ed" is as lively as it is unexpected, while former leader of the British opposition party Jeremy Corbyn popping up during a bank robbery is another considerable coup. Deacon clearly has an eye and an ear for parodying the gangland dramas that kickstarted his career, but these characters lack substance with little to say for themselves. Next time, a deeper dive into what makes his quirky creations tick might be needed.