Only a week after I mentioned Adam Sandler’s great, angry work in the underappreciated film Funny People, I watch the stink bomb Just Go with It. This week is morality week here on Alabama Liberal, and if Hollywood loves violence (The Mechanic) and mocking fat black women (Big Momma’s House), then they also love lazy, contrived movies that are really just an excuse for actors to go on vacation as everything from Ocean’s 11 to The Tourist proves. [Even the usually working class Tyler Perry indulged in this for Why Did I Get Married Too?]
In comedies it can be particularly noticeable, like Vince Vaughn’s Couples Retreat that was so shameless it should have had travel brochures on a table outside the theater. Adam Sandler is a repeat offender of the lazy ass movie created so the actors could have a good time (like 50 First Dates and Grown Ups), but Just Go With It is utterly pitiful in the way it sends its characters to Hawaii for no good reason. I’m willing to bet Rob Schneider’s career—because I really can’t lose either way—Sandler himself suggested the characters take a trip to Hawaii at about the halfway mark even though it makes little sense and isn’t really funny. He might have picked the location for the movie before he crafted a deadbeat script around it.
Some people will have a good time at this movie, because about a third of the audience I saw it with were laughing (this one fat lady behind me howled so loud I thought they might have sprinkled ground up Prozac over her popcorn, I wouldn’t have been shocked to find her dead of a heart attack when the end credits started for all the noise she was making). The rest were pretty bored and not really impressed with Sandler playing himself for the 35th time in a movie that makes no sense from the beginning and gets worse, but not funnier, as it keeps going. You have to buy that Brooklyn Decker’s character is pretty much retarded for the movie to work or else she would have said “You’re lying” during one of the 500 times Sandler’s character lies to her throughout the movie.
What Works: Surprisingly Jennifer Aniston is pretty good in this. She finally seems to relax and ditch her defensiveness. This is the second good Aniston performance in a row after last year’s The Switch so either she’s getting better, or the Mayans were right about 2012.
What Doesn’t Work: You could tie a pair of water balloons to a broom and replace Brooklyn Decker with it, because that’s about what she brought to the movie: a pair of slow motion titties to put in the trailer to try to get guys to come to this movie…provided guys forget that they can see the same thing for free on the internet. The movie shows her in slow motion twice, Jennifer Aniston in slow motion once, and Nicole Kidman (don’t ask) in a cameo doing a hula dance. Apparently, Adam Sandler has gotten so lazy he wants to be able to masturbate to the movie he’s in when he’s off camera.
What I Would Have Done Differently: I wouldn’t have made this movie at all if I were Sandler. I would have just used my millions of dollars to go on a trip to Hawaii and not have a film studio pay for it.
oh come on it’s not that bad…well maybe it is ;)
Come on I love Adam Sandler’s movies – forget about it. It’s like watching reality TV ~ mindless fun :)
I watched the movie, you are right on three things:
1. Sandler wasn’t acting.
2. Aniston was a little better than okay. (I still can’t use the word “good” with Jen’s acting.
3. Based on #2, the Mayans were correct about 2012.
My first Sandler movie in years, I may wait twice as long to watch another. Two thumbs down.
I’m still learning from you, but I’m trying to reach my goals. I certainly love reading all that is written on your blog.Keep the stories coming. I enjoyed it