This movie sucks.
What Works: Virtually nothing. Al Pacino’s so-embarassing-it’s-hilarious turn as a version of himself is entertaining in its delirious kamikaze glory (the man is seriously hellbent on destroying his reputation) but after a while you just feel depressed for laughing at (not with) this once-great actor.
What Doesn’t Work: This is an easy candidate for worst movie of the year. It’s a little bit better than What’s Your Number and Bad Teacher, but it will definitely be in the top ten. It’s not funny, it’s stupid, it’s borderline depressing watching Sandler play a woman (a loud, not funny, aggressively coarse woman), it’s clear it’s just another excuse for him to go on vacation and wear shorts…there’s no upshot. I didn’t think it was possible for Sandler to star in a movie worse than February’s Just Go With It in the same year but he does. Everything is worse right up to the main female lead: It was the slyly funny, radiant Jennifer Aniston in that movie and it’s the dreary, soul-dead Katie Holmes in this one. No contest.
What I Would Have Done Differently: Whoever brought Sandler this script needs to be fired. Whoever brought him the script for Just Go With It needs to be fired. Whoever brought him the script for Grown-Ups needs to be fired. And Sandler himself needs to be fired for making three shit-birds in a row. The man religiously follows a pattern where he makes one good movie (Funny People, Punch Drunk Love) for every three shitty ones, so I guess now he’s overdue for a quality one that will flop at the box office.