The movie is about a man, (Sandler), who gets into some trouble with the IRS and unless he can pay over $40,000 in back taxes, he's going to go to jail. Then he sees an article about his estranged son, (Andy Samberg), who is now rich, and getting married. This guy immediately comes off as a douchebag because he's on the next flight to reconnect with his son, but really he's there to borrow the money. You can watch the trailer below.
Judging by the trailer the movie looks promising. Most likely it's going to get an R rating, and the last Sandler movie with an R was Funny People, which was more of a Judd Apatow vehicle than a true Adam Sandler movie. Also the problem with Funny People was that it wasn't good. I've heard some people make their case for it, but there were a few problems with this one. Adam's character was so unlikeable, that he didn't have one redeeming quality. It's a character piece, and in the end he does grow, but I can't root for someone who I will never like. The story also fell pretty flat.
With that being said there have been many other movies he's made in the past five years. While Grown Ups was good enough and did make a lot of money, it was obviously just an excuse to get together and party for a few months. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you're not going to actually give it a try, then what's the point? Money, obviously. A Grown Ups sequel is also in production, which means another big effortless money party. It's been stated that 50 First Dates was only made because Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler wanted to work together again, and also they just wanted to go to Hawaii. Unlike Grown Ups, this movie worked, and it worked well. The great supporting cast, the script, the love story, everything about it made it a wonderful movie.
So, what happened? After 2007's I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry the Sandler train took a turn for the bad and the ugly. First there was You Don't Mess With The Zohan. Can I still get my $10 back? Being in a theater full of laughing morons while I sit there loathing every second on screen with gross out gags, a bad accent, among other things that made the movie atrocious I was in awe at the mess taking place before me. This is coming from someone who loves Dude, Where's My Car? I enjoy all types of humor in movies, except the ones that have none.
Then there was Bedtime Stories. My niece didn't even like this one. Besides being replayed on Starz everyday for three months, there would've been no other way I would've sat down and watched this movie. Fortunately for my sanity I couldn't finish it anyway. You know something stinks when even a children's movie can't make children laugh.
I've already discussed my pleasant distaste for Funny People and while it was nice seeing the SNL buddies and Kevin James as their replacement Chris Farley, Grown Ups was not anything special or new. So, moving right along to the unfunny disaster that is Just Go With It. Agreeing with mostly everyone who has seen this movie, Jennifer Aniston seemed to be the only redeeming thing about it, and while she was delightful it was a shame to see her waste a few months filming this garbage. This movie could've worked, but instead of writing an actual comedy for adults, Sandler decided to make the same dull jokes he pulls with buddy Nick Swardson, (who was completely useless in this film, despite actually being a real funny person) that he's been doing since the early '90s. Also the *NSYNC jokes were just offensive and hurtful. Lance appeared in Chuck & Larry and you just stab him in the back. Shame on you Adam.
There's no need to dwell on Jack & Jill for a paragraph, because it was so bad a couple sentences will do. I mean, it was Adam Sandler as himself and also dressing in drag as his twin sister. Do I really need to continue?
Now you may be thinking that I really dislike Adam Sandler. On the contrary, Billy Madison is in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. How I long for Nude-y magazine day, invisible penguins and snack packs. I dream of the day when Bobby Boucher rises again, and whether or not he still wants to grow old with Drew Barrymore. If 50 First Dates was any indication, then the answer is yes.
Even before this wave of terror he had a dud or two back in the day. Mr. Deeds, Spanglish, and Anger Management were all not very well received. Most of you would say Little Nicky should go in the duds section, but I say the ridiculous weird that is Nicky should go in the win category. Creatively it's one of the most far away things he's done, in the comedy department at least. Punch-Drunk Love was definitely a magnificent movie and very distant than the Sandler we're used to seeing. So, what happens now? Are we ever going to see an all around good Adam Sandler movie again? Or has Happy Madison productions lost their credibility? (If you can even believe I just said that.) Who's to say really? All I know is that when I saw this new trailer, and heard a voice that was a mixture of Little Nicky and a drunk Billy Madison, I got a little excited. Even if the days of Billy are gone, I will always be able to quote that movie back and forth, listen to the 50 First Dates soundtrack and also wonder why Kathy Bates wasn't nominated for her role as Momma, a.k.a. Helen. Ciao, Roberto.
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