When will this movie end? I started watching this thinking it would be funny. It was funny, don’t get me wrong, but WAY too long. The film starts off slow, but manages to keep me entertained by offering a heavy dose of one-liners from a star studded cast with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. This movie is literally filled with stars. The cast includes Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Tim Meadows; the list just keeps going. Dan Patrick even makes a guest appearance. So does Steve Buscemi. I’m not sure, but I think he’s been in every Happy Madison film to date.
Seeing Adam Sandler in a serious role is tough for me. I am so used to his antics as Happy Gilmore or Bobby Boucher that I have a tough time taking him serious when he tries to be… taken serious. He did do a great job in Reign Over Me, but that film had a deep storyline for me to follow. This movie is just about a bunch of adults who want to be kids again. All these families meet up after years apart, and spend way too much time trying to get back into the “swing of things”.
If you are going to watch this film, I suggest doing it with a room full of friends so you can appreciate the jokes and off-color humor. If nothing else, watch it for the cast; you don’t see a film filled with this much talent very often. I will admit that I laughed out loud a handful of times but it wasn’t enough to justify a two-hour film.
The film was directed by Dennis Dugan and was produced by Jack Giarraputo and Adam Sandler. I give this film 2/5 stars as it was suitable and somewhat laughable. The film really has no plot and does not require too much attention to appreciate. These guys are better than this, and while I regret never having shared this sort of bond with any of my friends growing up, it makes me glad I don’t have a weekend like this to look forward to.
