I have nothing really to rant about today. I wasn’t able to sit in the row with the railing in front of it, but that was my own fault because I arrived at the theatre with scant moments to spare before the reviews started. But at least I was able to get some gym time in to counteract the effects of the large bucket of popcorn I consumed during the film. I couldn’t help it… I received a free small popcorn coupon with my ticket because I have a Regal Crown points card. Curses!! Free popcorn upsized to a large for $2.00 is something no man can withstand.
SYNOPSIS: Five childhood friends return to their hometown for the funeral of their beloved basketball coach. Now grown up, they try to recapture their youth long forgotten, as well as instill some of that childhood excitement in their kids and spouses.
All of the reviews I peeked at prior top going to the theater claimed that “Grown Ups” was more like “Groan Ups”. I do make a point not to be biased by other critic reviews except to see what their final ratings are (C+, 3 stars, etc.). In this case, I went to the movies with low and little expectation. But, of course , I went anyway because I like Sandler and crew.
But maybe I did expect something. I mean, all of these guys are funny in their own right. Sandler plays the smart-alec with the heart, James plays the lovable oaf, Schneider the misunderstood weirdo, and Spade the single free womanizer. Only Rock plays against type a little bit by playing the overly sensitive stay-at-home dad.
Regardless of what roles they play, all (except Spade) now have families in tow with all of their own unique dysfunction. The film is classic Sandler in that there are plenty of pratfalls, some moronic juvenile humor, good-natured barbs at each other, and a fairly simple moral message. All of them have grown into unique individuals, some successful, some less so. But they all have grown up problems – Sandler realizes that his kids have become snobs and his wife (Salma Hayek) is work obsessed, Rock is not appreciated by his wife, kids or mother-in-law, James can not assert himself as the man of the household, Schneider is tragically attracted to older women, and Spade is the perpetual bachelor not realizing that he should be searching for something more.
As with “Click”, Sandler and pals have to realize that there is something missing in their lives, and use the time back at the lake to find ‘it’ again in themselves and their families. And, of course, the movie would not be complete without a childhood rival looking for a rematch, Colin Quinn, from the championship basketball game who felt that Sandler’s foot was on the line when he shot the winning last-second jumper.
The movie is juvenile and sophomoric, but it’s light and simple. It put a smile on my face and got a few laughs out of me, too. For a hot, humid late June day, it was just the ticket.
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