Jack & Jill
Review by Anthony Morris
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Jack & Jill
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Let's get it right out of the way up front : there is a lot of funny stuff going on in Jack & Jill.
Problem
is, these day, Adam Sandler makes at least three distinct kinds of
films – romantic comedies, kids movies, and comedies for his fans – and
a lot of the time critics don't bother to point out the
difference. So if you are expecting one of his often
somewhat bland romantic comedies, or a heartwarming tale for the kids,
get out now, because this is one to file alongside The Waterboy, Little Nicky and Billy Madison. After
all this is, as the poster tells you up front, a movie where Sandler
puts on a dress and plays his own sister, and it only gets nuttier from
there. As usual in Sandler films, he plays a millionaire
with a gorgeous wife (this time, Katie Holmes) and a massive mansion,
with an idyllic lifestyle marred by only two things; he needs to get Al
Pacino to agree to appear in a Dunkin Donuts commercial, and his
annoying twin sister Jill is flying out for Thanksgiving. How
annoying is she? Well, once you get past the semi-Jerry Lewis "Hey
ladieeees" voice and braying laugh, you still haven't scratched the
surface.
A Thanksgiving dinner with the family proves to be so
awkward the homeless guy who's been taken in for the holidays excuses
himself and leaves and it only gets worse when Jack decides the
solution to his problem is to find Jill a man and rigs her internet
dating profile to lure in a bunch of perverts. Cue cameo from Norm MacDonald, who's his usual hilariously deadpan self. Then
the actual real-life Al Pacino, for reasons that seem to have been
largely edited out of the movie (there are very brief references to him
being unable to find his way into his next stage role and feeling
disconnected from his roots, but they’ve wisely been cut down to make
way for more fart jokes) falls for Jill. Not surprisingly,
she wants nothing to do with him, having instead taken a shine to the
Mexican gardener who says amazingly racist things about Mexicans then
follows up with “just keeeding”. Cue jokes about stomach troubles after Mexican food and having to make “a run for the border”. Oddly
though, this all holds together well – yes, there are loads of times
where you’ll be laughing at this film instead of with it, but Sandler
clearly doesn’t mind so long as you’re laughing, and there are just as
many smart jokes here as dumb or broad ones. If you go into
this expecting to be appalled or horrified – as many critics seem to
have – you probably will be; if you go in expecting to have fun, you
probably will.
3.5 out
of 5
Jack & Jill
Australian release: 1st December,
2011
Official
Site: Jack & Jill
Cast: Adam Sandler, Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, Allen Covert, Valerie Mahaffey, Dana Carvey
Director: Dennis Dugan
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