You see, there
is no point slagging off a Sandler film for being a touchy feely family
comedy when that's what he sets out to make, even if you happen to think
his edgier comedies are what he does best. So to set things out clearly, Grown Ups is not a Sandler movie where he plays an idiot manchild (Little Nicky, The Waterboy), nor is it a Sandler movie where he goes flat out for laughs (Happy Gilmore, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan), nor is it a Sandler movie where he takes things a little seriously and reveals himself to be a pretty good actor (Punchdrunk Love, Funny People).
This
is one of those Sandler movies where he plays a nice guy, the story is
usually about family and the importance thereof, there is a couple of
moments that are supposed to be kind of touching, and the whole thing
can be wrapped up in a nice bow with "heart warming" written on it.
If you don't like those kind of Sandler movies, get out now: there's nothing for you here.
You
might think having a cast made of up Sandler's comedy buddies – David
Spade, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and Kevin James, all firmly in their
comedy comfort zones (only Rock is trying something different as a
henpecked husband) – would push things down the funny end of the scale,
and there is a fair amount of seemingly improvised riffing / ragging on
each other here.
There's just nothing else.
After the
death of their high school basketball coach, the five grown-up members of the team are reunited for his funeral. As they are
seemingly the only people in their dead coach's life, they stick around
at a lakehouse to scatter his ashes and just… hang out.
Occasionally
a glimmer of a storyline will pop-up, but they never go anywhere : the
only real development is that Sandler's snooty kids (he is an
ultra-wealthy Hollywood agent) learn to play outside.
Adam Sandler
is too canny a player to make a film but forget to make it about
anything : presumably there is a market for movies where you just get to
spend a weekend with Sandler and his buddies doing not much for close
to two hours. DVD Special Features
Grown Ups was a monster worldwide hit - which is a big thing
considering it came off the back of the ultra bomb that was Funny
People - taking in $162M in the USA alone (and a worlwide box office
take of $264M) so it's not surprise they've packed the DVD with goodies
for the countless DVD sales to come.
Included on the 2 Disc
Immature Edition is a Commentary with Director Dennis Dugan, a "Behind
The Back Basket" feature, a great Gag Reel and Riff-O-Rama as well as
the must see "The Lost Tapes of Norm MacDonald".
McDonald is by
far one of the most talented of the SNL alumni that never quite made it
- this gives the world a chance to see him at his best!
Conclusion: 55% Extras: 70%
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