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That's My Boy (2012)
That's My Boy (2012)
2012 | Comedy
Adam Sandler movies have often been a mixed bag. For every “The Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates” there are several forgettable offerings like “Little Nicky”, “I Now Prounounce You Chuck and Larry”, and “8 Crazy Nights”. To be fair there’ve also been several guilty pleasures such as “Happy Gilmore” and “The Waterboy” along the way. Sadly, his recent offerings, culminating in the disastrous “Jack and Jill”, have given me very low expectations for his new film “That’s My Boy” which pairs Sandler with former Saturday Night Live star Andy Samberg.

Sandler stars as Donny, a down-on his luck former celebrity who gained notoriety after impregnating his teacher at 13. While the teacher (Eva Amurri Martino) went on to a 30-year prison sentence, Donny used his notoriety to become a pop culture sensation. Unfortunately for Donny fame was fleeting and he wasted the money he had accumulated along the way. We soon learn Donny faces a prison sentence unless he comes up with $45,000 to pay back taxes.

Desperate, he turns to his estranged son Todd (Andy Samberg), who has pretty much disowned his father and does not even go by is given birth name. Todd is about to marry a socialite named Jamie (Leighton Meester), and since he is a numbers genius with an extremely bright future with a partnership pending, the arrival of his crude, drunken father, is a disaster in the making. Passing himself off as long-lost friend, Donny attempts to reconnect with his son and naturally this happens over some very vulgar and awkward moments, not all of which are limited to bachelor party scenes.

Of course anybody who has seen any of Sandler’s films will know the formula that follows: crude situations followed by conflict, mixed with celebrity cameos and an ’80s soundtrack tossed in with a few laughs along the way towards a tidy ending. To say that there is a definite formula to his films would be an understatement and Sandler gives the impression that he’s making up many of the scenes as he goes along, all the while sporting a hybrid Boston/Little Nicky accent.

What ultimately sells the film is the energy and effort that the cast puts into their performances. While the plot can be charitably described as disjointed, there are several scenes that are LOL-inducing, especially those with James Caan as an angry priest and with Vanilla Ice and Todd Bridges lampooning their faded glory.

While the film is a bit cruder than most of Sandler’s usual fare it is, for the most part, good-natured and lighthearted. Obviously nobody is expected to take the film seriously. Samberg does a good job playing the restrained uptight Todd, and in the scenes where he lets loose, shows solid working chemistry with Sandler.

While it is not a great cinematic comedy it certainly has more than its fair share of laughs along the way, just as long as you’re willing to overlook the lackluster plot and uneven pacing of the film.
  
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Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Uncut Gems (2019) in Movies

Mar 2, 2020 (Updated Mar 3, 2020)  
Uncut Gems (2019)
Uncut Gems (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Crime, Drama
I despised this film so much, I can barely bring myself to look at Adam Sandler’s face ever again! I mean, I hated everything about it. Half a day after seeing it I am still feeling somewhat nauseous, and full of disbelief that it has been subject to such attention and favourable reviews.

Objectively, it isn’t a badly made film; it has a consistent visual and tonal style, and at least the semblance of a structure that drives towards a conclusion that makes sense. It is just that it is a nasty piece of work, about awful people in an awful world, doing awful things, presented as though that is somehow edgy and cool, rather than crass and offensive.

Not since Whiplash has a film felt so much like a heart-attack, such is the dizzying, unrelenting pace. If it is designed to unnerve then it accomplishes that in spades, but unlike Whiplash it is not a pleasant experience to be forced to feel that way for 2 hours in the presence of this despicable character. It lacks any kind of grace or empathy, replacing clever, tight dialogue with loud, grating rants that make you feel physically sick.

Much has been made by Netflix of publicising this as an awards worthy work, with Sandler at the centre of attention. And many have wondered why it has been shunned by every major awards, in every category. That is no mystery to me, because when you strip away the bling it is almost totally devoid of value or meaning. It is just about an arsehole being an arsehole, surrounded by arseholes, chasing something no one cares about but them.

Screaming and saying “fuck” a lot in every single scene does not constitute acting. It constitutes an annoying headache! This is not the Sandler of Punch Drunk Love or Reign Over Me, where he does demonstrate some skill, but the Sandler of his worst macho and misogynistic tendencies. Take my word for it and avoid this piece of trash at all costs. Life is too short. The only reason I am not giving this 1/10 is that it did have the power to offend me – insipid it isn’t, repugnant it surely is.
  
Good Time (2017)
Good Time (2017)
2017 | Crime, Drama
8
7.8 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I have an unfair tendency to sometimes judge actors based on what they are known for early in their careers. I fully understand that this is a corrupt practice. But it is often an accurate representation. Sometimes, though, it is a grossly inaccurate representation. That is indeed the case with Robert Pattinson. I grossly misjudged him based on his early work and the fact that he worked on what I considered hollow projects. I was wrong. And I'm so thankful that I was. Now we are all blessed with the performances that Pattinson is capable of and we are all better for it.

Good Times is a CRAZY story by the Safdies (you may recognize the name from Adam Sandler sleeper Uncut Gems). Criminal underrating of the script writing and storytelling somehow prevented this movie from becoming the smash that it deserved to become. A24 has and continues to churn out quality, lower budget movies that are SOOOOO much better than they have any right to be and Good Times is another wonderful example of this.
  
Hubie Halloween (2020)
Hubie Halloween (2020)
2020 | Comedy, Mystery
A new Halloween classic?
First question: Is this a good movie? No
Second question: Is this movie funny? Yes

You can't go into this movie expecting it to be any more than it is. A comedy with Adam Sandler & his friends acting silly.

The story is silly, the characters are silly. It's typical Sandler. People are mean to him but he keeps on keeping on until he's the hero. At the end, I didn't feel his bullies got what they deserved, but Hubie, Sandler's character, gets what he deserves. And that's fine.

His movies are all about his character. The out-of-place loser that everyone hates or makes fun of. So, how does Hubie stack up? He's great. He's the Water Boy character but instead of water, he's into safety, especially during Halloween. But the thing that I really liked is that he was scared of everything, screaming at every little jump scare & some not even that. And every time he screamed, I laughed out loud. In fact, there were lots of things making me laugh at. Every shirt that Hubie's mother & her friend wore had me laugh like a kid. I think the part that made me laugh the loudest was the cat's reaction when Violet insults it. The secondary characters were all funny as well.

There were throw backs & Easter eggs to his other movies too, like the O'Doyles from Billy Madison or Ben Stiller from Happy Gillmore. But I don't want to give away any more of them, including the cameos from famous people.

So, in ending, yeah, it's not actually art, but it's damn funny. I was laughing throughout the whole thing. I could see myself watching this every Halloween. It's a new classic in my house.
  
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Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Click (2006) in Movies

Apr 21, 2020 (Updated Apr 21, 2020)  
Click (2006)
Click (2006)
2006 | Comedy, Family
8
7.1 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
feel-good that makes you feel good (0 more)
Contains spoilers, click to show
Let me paint you a picture. It's day 39 of quarantine. My roommate and I are working our way through my Netflix list and he's never seen Click. I think, oh my gosh, I love this film we have to watch it. Little did I know, I forgot how it ends. So we get to the last 20 minutes of the film and Michael dies outside the hospital and I am bawling my eyes out - ugly crying, hysterical, the world is ending, I'm losing it. I call my mom to calm down but it doesn't really work that well. I'm still just CRYING like a maniac. We finish the film and I end up crying even more because he lives and it was just a dream and he gets a chance to live the life he truly wants.

Needless to say, I liked this film. Obviously it's cheesy and a bit dumb, given that it's an Adam Sandler film, but I still enjoyed it. It pulls at the heartstrings, makes you laugh, it's a feel-good that will make you feel good.
  
Pixels (2015)
Pixels (2015)
2015 | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Where's the off switch
When was the last time you went to the cinema to see something original? It’s probably a question a lot of film fans ask themselves and in the last few years, perhaps proved rather difficult to answer.

However, with 2015 being the year of the reboot and the sequel, it’s nice to see a film like Pixels showcasing something completely different. But is it worth a go?

Directed by Chris Columbus of Mrs. Doubtfire and Harry Potter fame, Pixels stars Adam Sandler, Josh Gad, Peter Dinklage and a woefully miscast Kevin James in a film that doesn’t do enough with its fascinating premise, descending into painfully unfunny slapstick instead.

Sandler stars as Sam Brenner, a video game lover who, after a brief scene showing his history, is tasked with saving the world as aliens infiltrate Earth and begin to attack using some of our most-loved classic arcade games.

Alongside him for the ride are fellow video-game champs Josh Gad (Frozen), Peter Dinklage (X:Men – Days of Future Past) and Kevin James (Paul Blart: Mall Cop). The latter also happens to play the US President.

Unfortunately, none of the cast are particularly likeable with the usually on-point James playing one of the worst Presidential roles ever put to film. He is simply unbelievable as the leader of the United States and provides Pixels with some of its more cringe-worthy moments.

Once the film gets going, there are a few standout moments including a Pac-Man rampage through New York City but this has been so heavily marketed in the trailers that there is practically no suspense or joy in watching it unfold.

The finale is also very good, with a Donkey Kong showdown rendered in some stunning CGI and ridiculously clever set building and it’s great fun seeing so many classic arcade games being brought to life on the big screen.

Pac-Man, Q*Bert , Centipede and Donkey Kong are just a few to appear and look glorious with their 21st Century upgrades. Q*Bert in particular is a little cutie and is a major character throughout the last third of the film.

It’s unfortunate then that Chris Columbus’ usually reliable direction takes such a knock here. There’s none of the clever generation-bending humour of Mrs. Doubtfire or the laugh-out-loud slapstick of Home Alone, and the visual style he brought to Harry Potter is nowhere to be seen. In the end, Pixels just comes across as a brilliant concept that seems wasted.

Perhaps this can be blamed somewhat on poor casting choices. Adam Sandler hasn’t been hot property for a while after numerous box-office bombs and Peter Dinklage is still establishing himself as a major movie star. With Kevin James also proving a disappointment, it’s only Josh Gad who comes out on top – just.

Ultimately, Pixels is fun while it lasts and has some absolutely brilliant set pieces but once the credits roll, it’s apparent that it won’t be memorable like the wonderful arcade games it parodies.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/08/16/wheres-the-start-button-pixels-review/
  
The Longest Yard (2005)
The Longest Yard (2005)
2005 | Comedy, Drama
8
5.5 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Continuing the current trend of remakes, Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company set their sights on remaking the classic prison football film The Longest Yard. Like most projects that Sandler puts his Midas touch upon, this too has some moments of true gold.

The film stars Adam Sandler as Paul Crewe, a former NFL star quarterback who was banned from the league after allegedly throwing a game. As the film opens, Crewe is spending his time as a boy toy for a snobby socialite who is happy to capitalize on being seen with him, and parading Paul through various promotional ventures.

After reaching his breaking point, Paul lashes back by “borrowing” her car and leading several police officers on a high speed, and drunken chase through the streets. The resulting carnage is not only captured on live television, but awards Paul a three year prison term.

Upon arriving in the remote prison location, Crewe is introduced to Warden Hazen (James Cromwell), who attempts to recruit Crewe to help him with his semi-pro team. Crewe declines as he was urged to forcibly by Captain of the Guards Captain Knauer (William Fitchtner).

Paul eventually meets a helpful inmate known as Caretaker (Chris Rock), who shows him the ropes of prison life, and becomes a good friend for Crewe, who certainly needs friends, as there are more than a few guards and prisoners who lost money on the game he through years ago.

In time, Crew is forced by the Warden to organize a team of prisoners for a tune up game with the guards. In a series of comedic moments, Paul and Caretaker have to take drastic measures in order to organize a team from the prisoners including a game of basketball that is rougher than most games Paul had to face on the playing fields of the NFL.

Onboard to assist Paul is Coach Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds), who provides a much needed spark and wisdom to the team and as a former football great, allows Paul to unload some of the burden of getting the team and himself ready to play.

Of course there will be some subterfuge afoot, and the guards are not about to allow the prisoners any sense of hope, which all leads to a very funny series of point/counterpoint moves on the part of both teams to undermine the other.

When news of the game gets out, it is not long before ESPN 2 wants to televise the return of Paul Crewe, and the game soon becomes a national showcase. Since Warden Hazen has political aspirations, the outcome of the game in his favor becomes paramount forcing him to increase the pressure, and forces Paul to make a very important choice.

While the film follows the basic premise of the original, it has been updated to take advantage of modern humor and fine supporting cast. Many ex-NFL players ranging from Brian Bosworth, Michael Irvin, Bill Romanowski, and Bill Goldberg are in the film as well as wrestlers Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, and rapper Nelly.

While some may say the film is predictable, Sandler and the supporting cast do a great job in mixing humor with some of the more serious issues of prison life which results in a film that masterfully mixes humor, sports action, and human drama to create one of the better sports films in recent memory.
  
Murder Mystery (2019)
Murder Mystery (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Who Knew High School Latin Would Come In Handy?
Does anyone remember the movie "Manhattan Murder Mystery," the Woody Allen movie where Woody Allen and Dane Keaton play a older married couple who try to solve the murder of their neighbor in an homage to Rear Window? "Murder Mystery" is a Happy Madison production that pays homage to Agatha Christie and Blake Edwards and several Hitchcock films. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston play Nick and Nora (I mean Audrey) Spitz, a NYPD Sergeant and hairdresser, celebrating 15 years of marriage. In an attempt to save his failing marriage, Nick buys the trip to Europe he promised Audrey at their wedding. On the plane to France, they meet a rich debonair rake Charles Cavendish who invites them to his family yacht. During an elaborate ceremony, the family patriarch is murdered and the sole heir seemingly commits suicide. Nick and Audrey become the prime suspects and as bodies of the other family members start to pile up while being questioned by the couple the list of suspects shrinks.
The movie has some light moments to balance the thrills. But overall for a movie that is fond of pointing out that cliches of the genre are fictitious it contains many of those cliches.
  
Click (2006)
Click (2006)
2006 | Comedy, Family
8
7.1 (17 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) is a man in crisis. As a caring a devoted father and husband, Michael is at the end of his rope as his life has become a non-stop series of projects and endless deadlines as he attempts to become a partner in his architecture firm.

His boss, Ammer (David Hasselhoff) is constantly piling work on top of Michael’s already full plate, and promises a pending partnership which only drives Michael even harder at the expense of quality time for himself and his family.

With events such as camping trips, 4th of July family outings and his swim meets being lost to his increasing workload, Michael is in need of help as even his loving wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale), is becoming frustrated with his lack of time for his family and the fact that his family has become a distant second fiddle to his job.

When his frustration point gets the best of him, Michael decides to take a drive one night and locate a universal remote in an effort to clear up the clutter of remotes that inhabit his own.

With only a Bed Bath and Beyond open, Michael finds himself in a remote room of the store where a sympathetic employee named Morty (Christopher Walken), says he has the answer to Michaels situation, a special universal remote that is his free of charge.

Michael is skeptical but when Morty assures him that it is an advanced prototype and that sometimes a good guy need breaks in life, he sets home with the remote.

Eventually Michael realizes that the remote has the power to speed up, freeze, and access various moments of his life. Suddenly menial tasks, work, and other events can be avoided simply by forwarding past those points.

As Michael works with the remote, he is visited from time to time by Morty who shows him features such as a DVD like menu where Michael can look back at everything from past girlfriends to his conception and birth.

After a setback on his career path, Michael decides to fast forward to his promotion and is shocked to discover that not only has more time passed than he expected, but that his relationships at home have been strained in the process.

If this is not enough trouble for Michael, the remote starts to take on a mind of its own, and soon forwards him in time without his approval, forcing Michael to face the changes and repercussions of a life out of control.

Click is easily one of Sandler’s best films since “The Wedding Singer” and “Fifty First Dates”, as it blends the typical Sandler humor with moments of great candor and tenderness.

The supporting work of Walken and Beckinsale is enhanced by the presence of Henry Winkler ads to the enjoyment of the film.

Frank Coraci who previously directed Sandler in (The Wedding Singer), and (The Waterboy), is not afraid to force Sandler to stretch beyond the familiar comedic routines for which he has been known and make him address more serious subject matter.

While some fans may find the blend of comedy and a more mature subject matter difficult to accept, Click is a novel comedy that is filled with laughs and yet takes the time to address important topics without ever being heavy handed.

Some may want to take issues with the crude humor, and raise issues about the remote and why certain things were done or not done. To do this would be in my opinion would be missing the point of the film which is to remind us, that no matter what, take the time out for those that are important in your life.
  
Everything Must Go (2011)
Everything Must Go (2011)
2011 | Comedy, Drama
Sterile and not funny, but more importantly yet another one of those mopey pity parties about a loathsome, middle/upper class, middle-aged white man who learns to love from those around him by first abusing them emotionally and wallowing in doldrums. The first stretch is pretty rough but that all being said, eventually turns into some serviceable sad porn. The Laura Dern scenes are pointless, and the direction barely rises above just adequate - but I feel the main problem is the very aspect that gets the most praise here; despite Ferrell's best efforts this character comes out as nothing much more than flat. It's clear they were going for like a Jim Carrey in 𝘌𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘥 or Adam Sandler in 𝘙𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘦, but they fail to have those crucial catharsis scenes, those bursts of emotion which made Ferrell's turn in 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 come out unscathed. So instead we have this guy who comes across as more deflated than successfully melancholy and just sort of sulks around while the story does everything you expect it to, then it's suddenly all solved but who really cares by then? Anywho, he and Hall have some serious chemistry and their scenes are enough to make this not so bad even if it can't escape convention.