The Wedding Singer (1998) Film Review

Robbie (Adam Sandler) is a wedding singer, very popular on the circuit because he and his band do all the latest hits – of the 80s, when the film is set – and also because he is a true romantic. Then his fiancé, Holly (Christine Taylor) dumps him and he becomes depressed. Then there is Julia (Drew Barrymore), a waitress engaged to Glenn (Matthew Glave), a sleazy, cheaty, Wall St guy who ropes Robbie and all his mates into helping her plan her wedding.

A lot of people love this film for its kitschy eighties-ness and stuff, and there is some good stuff in it. Unfortunately, it is ruined by being that kind of Adam Sandler film – you know, the kind of film when the character George (Alexis Arquette), an alternative band member who dresses like Boy George, takes the stage, everyone is mostly repulsed by the cross dressing, apart from one character, the loser character (played by Steve Buscemi) who is even more of a loser because he finds George attractive – and the joke is on him, because he is such a loser that he doesn’t even realise that George is a guy! (Oh, so offensive!) The type of Adam Sandler film that, when Robbie hilariously sets up the fat loser kid to dance with gorgeous Julia at the Bar Mitzvah, when the kid grabs and holds her bottom for a long time, it is a laugh, and there is no mention that that is actually assault, it’s not funny and not make funny when Robbie then makes a young girl grab his arse. Clearly, I have no sense of humour about this. But it’s nasty comedy, and there could have been reactions to George that were funny and not mean, and the right of a woman to dance with a man without being groped didn’t have to be turned into a joke.

I used to really like Adam Sandler, but then I started to really notice how horrible and mean his films in general are, and how much they just laugh at those in lower status positions, and I’ve gone right off them. Is there a chance for him to come back – he is going to have to do something pretty darned amazing to get me – and I don’t think that he has any interest in winning me over.

Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Film Review

Watching this film several years ago, I recall thinking it was like watching a really awful car accident. Barry Egan is a very insecure, introverted man who has been tormented by his seven sisters his entire life and is prone to outbreaks of violence against inanimate objects. At the same time as he meets love interest Lena Leonard (Emily Watson), he ends up in a battle with the man running a phone sex line which Barry used once and who is running a scam to extort money.

It’s a tough film for a lot of reasons. It is intensely emotional, with such massive extremes, and Barry Egan is clearly such a broken man who needs a lot of help to get anywhere near being “normal”. Yet, every person in his life (or at least, his family, including his brothers-in-law) seem to be unable to help in any real way. When Lena comes along, there is a sense of hope, but on the other hand, it is totally implausible that a relationship could develop between these two. Perhaps if she’d been seen to be more messed up, or something. If there was some hope that Barry could actually pull it together… I don’t know. Thinking about this reminds me of Silver Linings Playbook that I watched last year. I didn’t like it all that much, and again I think it was the implausibility of the relationship. At lease Silver Linings showed more of the female character and her flaws, but I still found that relationship hard to believe.

Definitely a sadtacular film. But it has reminded me of the admiration I have for the marvelous Emily Watson.

You Don’t Mess With the Zohan (2008) Film Review

The Zohan (Adam Sandler) is Israel’s greatest solider, but he really wants to cut hair.  After faking his own death at the hands of Palestine’s greatest soldier, Phantom (Joh Tuturro), he escapes to the US and joins a small salon where he can cut hair and have sex with any woman who moves. But then Phantom discovers that Zohan is still alive and *yawn* there are explosions and crotch thrusting and so on and so forth.

Is this one of the worst ever Adam Sandler films? Yup, I sure hope so. It’s stupid, puerile, tedious and makes me wonder what the hell happened to the once-marvelous John Tuturro.

Click (2006) Film Review

All my love for Adam Sandler has gone. I’ve stuck up for him often, saying I quite like his films, saying they are not totally puerile with stupid, sickly sweet stories that are stupid. But I was wrong. At least, for those I have seen recently. Click is ridiculous and dumb. I hated it.

The idea is that there is a workaholic father who is aiming for a promotion in his company. Of course, this is coming at the expense of his relationships with his family. Plus, despite being a totally capable person, he cannot figure out which remote operates what in his house. Then he meets Morty (Christopher Walken) who gives him a universal remote control, however, it actually controls the world around him, not the appliances. Suddenly, he is skipping through most of his life and then he is really fat and divorced with a slut for a daughter. Yup. That’s where it went. And then (spoiler alert, but really, don’t watch this film!) it was all a dream! Um, really? Is that really what you are going to do with a film that was made in 2006? Really? Unbelievable. Just so bad.

Hotel Transylvania (2012) FIlm Review

Dracula lives in a hotel he has built for all kinds of monsters to keep them safe from humans, who all monsters fear. His daughter is about to turn 118, and is ready to travel the world. Dracula does not want her to go, but he manages to scare her into staying, and he and his monster mates throw her a huge party. However, a spanner is thrown into the works when a real human manages to stumble into the hotel, despite all of Dracula’s safeguards.

I generally enjoy films aimed at a young audience. Generally; although I usually find something to rile me up and get annoyed about. Like, the lion in Madagascar who is trying to be vegetarian. Lions don’t have a choice. Don’t be ridiculous. And don’t get me started on Happy Feet. Hotel Transylvania hasn’t really got enough depth of content for me to get truly riled up. However, I do get cross about the representation of men in these cartoons.

Yes, the representation of men. I see myself as a feminist, and get annoyed that the women are all shown with huge, cute eyes and limbs so slender they’d snap if you gave them a decent high-five, but it is the men that annoy me. Why do they all have to look so stupid? And act so stupid? Oh, did you see Brave recently? Not a decent man in the whole film. Idiots and losers. What is wrong with the world? Why can’t we have decent cartoon men?

Oops. I see there is enough in this to get me ranting. Apologies. Back to some semblance of a review.

The human that stumbles in is a stoner backpacker with no respect for the culture he has come across, who instead seeks to change the culture rather than simply observing or partaking in it. Too much of an intellectual read into it? Probably. The more I think about the film, the less I liked it. There are funny moments, but not enough to make it worth watching. I didn’t like the story, I didn’t like the characters. The only thing I liked was trying to figure out who was doing the voices. Didn’t really have much luck with that either. Nope, overall, I just didn’t like this film. But perhaps I’m finally outgrowing kids films.

Hotel Transylvania was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film.

50 First Dates (2004) Film Review

 

Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) lives in Hawaii and spends his spare time bedding beautiful tourists, avoiding any commitment. Then he meets Lucy (Drew Barrymore) a beautiful woman who lives on the same island and has a brain condition that does not allow her to keep short-term memories. Each morning she wakes and the previous day has gone; she is back to the day before the car accident that causes her condition. Her father and brother spend their lives recreating this day for her. Immediately in love, Henry works on finding a different way for Lucy to live her life.

I enjoyed this film in the most superficial way possible. Essentially, it’s a good, function romantic comedy. Don’t spend much time trying to analyse it. It’s not worth it, and it will fall apart quickly. Also, don’t spend too much time looking for the chemistry between Henry and Lucy – it’s almost non-existent. I’ve never really minded Adam Sandler, but watching this, I totally get why so many people can’t stand him. Especially with all of the stupid, quirky characters, and Rob Schneider. Oh, for crying out loud.