Movie Review - 'Grown Ups'

Grown Ups Starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, and Kevin James Directed by Denis Dugan Rated PG-13

Grown Ups is the last Adam Sandler comedy I'll ever see. What's the point? Even when he was funny - a period that didn't last very long anyway - the films were only passable at best. But over the last few years, as Sandler has become increasingly vain on screen, there's not even any joy that this streetwise kid is flipping Hollywood the bird by making tons of money grinding out cheap, stupid projects that are in tune with teenagers and college kids. Where have you gone, Happy Gilmore? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you. The reason this is my last go-round with Sandler is simple: Every end result is the same. The stories might be different, but ultimately, they come out of the oven deflated and dry. They're not as funny as they used to be, and the downward trend has been steady for five years or more now. The gags designed to make audiences laugh don't. And in Grown Ups that swing-and-miss is illustrated by the rather surreal experience of watching the characters on screen laugh at jokes the audience doesn't find funny. That's what we call a disconnect. The story, of course, is beyond simplistic. Five friends, now separated by hundreds or thousands of miles come back to the spot of their greatest collective success, a 1978 youth league basketball championship. Their coach has passed away and this is not only a chance to pay final respects but a chance to uncork some bottled up nostalgia. The five are Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade. James is a more traditional family man, earning his paycheck and supporting for his wife (Maria Bello) and their kids. One of them, at four years old, still breastfeeds. It's referenced about a dozen times. Rock is not traditional. His wife (Maya Rudolph) is the bread winner and Rock is a househusband. Schneider plays a kind of vegan-shaman guy who's on his third marriage, this time to a woman at least twice his age. Spade plays himself. Sandler, of course, is the most financially and personally successful. What happened to this guy? He went from a goofy prankster to playing movie romances with Kate Beckinsale, Paz Vega, Jessica Biel, and now Salma Hayek. If you go into Grown Ups with a sense that Sandler now sees himself differently, the movie has an almost pathological obsession with building the guy up. His opening line of dialogue: "I'm the biggest agent in Hollywood..." He takes the game-winning shots. In fact, he never misses the bank shot from the right side of the basket. The other friends clearly envy his wealth and accomplishments and always refer to how Sandler's character talked them into the craziest stunts when they were younger. And then there's the Salma Hayek thing. It's disheartening, actually, to see Sandler - who co-wrote this film - become so insistent that he's some kind of lady-killing alpha male. Put down your press clippings. There is nothing new under the sun here. Rock continues to struggle as an actor. He's so great on stage, I wonder why he bothers. There is something eminently likable about Kevin James, the big lug. Even in Paul Blart, a perfectly average movie for which he takes too big a beating, James hasn't seemed to forget how fortunate he is to be in this position. I wonder how it hasn't rubbed off on Sandler, or the other way around. Regrettably, James has the least to do, driving almost none of the action at any point, and he's the best comedic actor in the cast. Spade and Schneider you either like or you don't. However, Schneider is more agreeable here than when he's a leading actor. None of them get many laughs - except from the other actors, of course - although there are a couple scenes that show life. One involves gawking a young woman fixing her car and the other one...um...OK, so maybe there's only one scene that shows life. There is a sub-plot about a rematch of that basketball game from 1978 and asides about bunions and breast milk. And in case you forget that Sandler's character is loaded, we're reminded several times that the family is supposed to be in Milan instead of some cabin in New England for Salma's fashion show and then he offers to loan Kevin James money to start a new company. What a guy.

Comments

[Jeremy H]

Oh man, Colin! I usually agree with you whole heartedly on your reviews. In fact, if you like it I pretty much take it to the bank that I will too...I caught this as a sneak peak on Tuesday and really enjoyed myself. I was pleasently surprised at how much I laughed. Then again, we did get the tickets for free, so that might've helped. I know he's been in a slump for a while, but I thought this was kind of a return to form for Sandler.

[dimajanation]

I was at that same screening too, Jeremy. I did not like this at all. Yeah I laughed at some parts but I think that's because some of the other people's laughter around me woke me up. So not knowing what was going on I just followed suit. For me, this movie sucked. Nothing personal against your opinion on the movie just to be clear, Jeremy. To each his own.

Glad I saw this for free.

[Don Draper]

Sandler's worst film & that is saying something. I am trying to think of one geniunely funny thing I really can't maybe early on with the Spade character looking down @ the leg of the woman he's with & she has a tattoo of OJ Simpson, maybe. Oh wait the buff dude from Scatcha-toon, was funny but still you know sometimes you hit a speed bump or in Spade's case a face full of feces not once but twice. Oh yeah & the fat jokes with Kevin James didn't see that coming I am suprised that @ the waterpark they would've had him stuck in one of the tubes, that would be original but The Simpsons pulled it off better in Season one or two, I forget which. This could have been funny, it just missed, & really keeping Rock on the leash like that really Sandler, your afraid of getting upstaged by Chris Rock???? Also did we need the basketball game @ the end? With Sandler missing the shot so the other team could win who friggin cared, no one. The Colin Quinn character was allright but holding a grudge over supposedly having your foot on the 3 point line since 1978 are you kidding me, what is this "The Best of Times"? I mean my high school team got BOHICA'ed in a game, because of mistakes & a horrific non penalty penalty, that to this day doesn't make a bit of difference now. There were some sweet moments, not really developed, you could tell the improv wasn't working I shudder to think what they had written originally. It's a shame Christ Farley is not around, because he would've been the Kevin James roll. Forgive the pun in that sentence. They just weren't trying. I should've seen the red flags during the NBA finals with all the promotion. Where was John Tuturo? Instead of basketball the movie could've about bowling & you would've had Jesus & Donnie (Steve Buscemi) from "The Big Lebowski" & also a little "Kingpin" thrown in. Instead we got""The Great Outdoors" sequel no one wanted. Of course Sandler & Co. don't hear a word they are busy counting their hundreds & doing God know what with the rest of the cash, guys for 25 grand, I can write a better movie with the same premise.

[smarie]

I thought the movie was very good. I laughed a lot and im going back to see it tonight! personally if you dont have a sense of humor this movie probably isnt for you! But i LOVED it!

[ds]

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