Mr Deeds

Review By Clint Morris

When the idea for a remake of Mr Deeds Goes to Town (1936) fell out of Arnold Schwarzenegger's environs and into the office of Adam Sandler, it all of a sudden became a very different movie.

Once Winona Ryder got cast as Sandler's co-star in the film, we got a fair understanding of what to expect.

Something moderately funny, some nice cameos, and some sweet stuff between Sandler and Ryder - after all, that's the combo Sandler usually dishes up and successfully enough, to his fans. He usually always delivers…

Except today.

Longfellow Deeds (Sandler), an eccentric big-hearted, small-town fellow has just been handed 40 million dollars. Seems his media mogul uncle (whom he had never met) had left it all to him.

Strapped in to the company chopper, Deeds is whisked off to Manhattan where he wins a small number of hearts, but habitually creates envy among those wanting to get their hands on his dough.

Seedy television producer, Matt McGrath (Jared Harris), enlists young journalist, Babe Bennett (Winona Ryder) to get close to him and find out the real story behind the inheritor. In essence, she must dig for dirt where there's just no dirt to be dug. Ultimately, she falls for him and must come clean.

Mr Deeds is Sandler's poorest film to date. It's a one-joke movie (and a joke that's been done to death), and the film's funniest and sweetest moments are all in the trailer. There's essentially 10 good minutes of film here, and the rest is regurgitated carbon.

Winona Ryder is adorable as Sandler's love interest, and together they even exhibit some obvious chemistry, but the material they're forced to work with here is, for the most part, shameful.

Never did I expect to long for the days of Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore or even Little Nicky. Sandler's films are usually far from groundbreaking features, but at least they've been funny and a lot more spirited than this outing.

Bring back the goods Sandler!

2.5 out of 5

Mr Deeds
Australian release: Thursday August 22nd
Cast: Adam Sandler, Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher, John Turturro, Steve Buscemi, Allen Covert, Jared Harris.
Director: Steven Brill.
Website: Click here

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