2010 MISSES: "GROWN UPS"

Before the year is halfway over, I should probably mention the other films of 2010 that I loved, or hated. I've done a couple posts entitled 2010 misses this year: "Catfish", "Tron:Legacy", etc, plus my best/worst of 2010. Now it is time to get into some comedy, my most avoided genre (excluding 80's teen comedy). Let's just say I have a love/hate relationship with Adam Sandler. More of a hate relationship I guess. But I have a soft spot in my heart for "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore" and I think he's put in some surprisingly well done performances, such as "Punch Drunk Love". But beyond that, the garbage he usually puts together is predictable, formulaic, and just stupid. That doesn't mean these films don't get a few laughs.

One positive I can say about Adam Sandler films is that I've never been bored. They are always filled with ridiculous cast members, cameos, and strange scenes that end at odd times. "Grown Ups" falls right into the Sandler tradition. Sadly, it doesn't break any new ground. You could probably take his character in this film and throw it into about 15 of his other movies and you wouldn't know the difference. The lovable, but troubled misfit, who somehow has the hottest wife/girlfriend and is surrounded by idiots. His cast mates aren't much better. Chris Rock is extremely unfunny as the bitchmade stay at home husband, Kevin James once again plays the fat guy where every joke revolves around his clumsy fatness, and Rob Schneider plays the oddball character who is completely out there and cartoonish. To me, it seemed like this film was more about Adam Sandler and his friends hanging out in real life, while putting together a sub par movie about old friends hanging out. It should have been the other way around. I'm all for nostalgia, but this film fails, not without a few laughs though.

*2 Lance Approvals*