THE marketing campaign for Blockers simply didn’t do it for me.

The trailers failed to make me laugh and I struggled to find any real purpose for the movie other than the easy chance to indulge audiences with slapstick and emoji humour. And I was right (sort of.)

Blockers is filled with the expected doses of silly humour, but not only is it funnier than I anticipated, at its core is a heart so warm and sweet that it’s simply impossible to resist.

The story takes place on Prom Night and follows Julie (Kathryn Newton), Kayla (Geraldine Viswanathan) and Sam (Gideon Adlon) who have all been best friends for years.

They do everything together and decide that this, their last night of school, will be the night they all lose their virginity. Unfortunately, their parents find out about these plans and do everything they can to stop this from happening.

And it is the parents who really make Blockers shine.

The always reliable Leslie Mann stars as Julie’s obsessed mum Lisa and she is a total delight.

It’s no surprise really as Mann has been hilarious on our screens for over 10 years now, specifically stealing the show in 2007’s Knocked Up, and she continues her usual best here. As a clingy mum whose life revolves around her daughter, it’s a mother which many of us can relate too and Mann nails it.

I’m not a big fan of Ike Barinholtz (Bad Neighbours) but this may be the best he’s been. He can come across a bit irritating at times but still provides plenty of laughs and his dynamic with his daughter was really touching.

He senses something wasn’t all it seems and how it plays out is adorable.

I have always found that he is trying to become this generation's Jim Carrey, but so far he’s really struggled to catch the same attention.

I don’t think this will quite change his career but he’s certainly shown he has the facial expressions and energy, however still lacks the wit and lovability which Carrey always possessed.

But the scene stealer is hands down John Cena. The WWE legend has been pushing a career in film for a while now, slowly improving with every picture and after holding his own in ventures like Trainwreck and The Wall, he has finally found his calling.

Cena’s character of Mitchell is both endearing yet fearless and had me laughing in every scene. His comedic timing is surprisingly strong and he perfects the overprotective dad persona.

Hollywood hasn’t always been kind over the years to high school girls in teen-based comedies.

A usual depiction is for eye candy purposes only and some films mistreat them as nothing more than objects. But here, they are established and play by their own rules.

They are in control of their future, making the big decisions about what is and isn’t going down on prom night. Huge credit to the three daughters, who are all really good and believable leading girls, also sharing a genuine chemistry.

But the reason the girls and parent dynamics works so well is down to the impeccable writing. The teen sex comedy genre has had such classics as American Pie and Superbad, but never before had characters we truly all care about.

The film's problem is that it’s not very memorable. It’s a consistently fun ride with the jokes flying at you at a consistent rate, yet lacks stand-out moments to talk about once the film has finished.

Kay Cannon in her directorial debut has delivered a very solid introduction. A hugely enjoyable romp, one which I believe all the family can enjoy and relate too.

It’s ultimately a tale of finding yourself, no matter how old you are, and the struggle and confusion that comes with it. It has well-judged messages, but it’s just a shame it wasn’t as funny as it could’ve been.

Verdict: Blockers is here for a good time, not a long time, but gets by thanks to loveable characters and its great big heart.

Best Moment: Cena goes looking for his daughter in a hotel, slamming every door until he finds her.

Rating: 7.5/10