Movie Title: Just Go With It
Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Released: February 11, 2011
Hoot Rating: I give this film One Hoot. There were slight moments of laugh-out-loud fun. Some of the humor was crude, but there were other genuinely funny moments which prevent this film from being entirely Hoot-less. Other than these brief funny moments, there is not much there to be desired.
The Critical Eye: Just Go With It is a romantic comedy where Adam Sandler plays Danny, a plastic surgeon who, because of a past heartbreak, uses a wedding band and lies of a bad wife to get dumb, but willing women to have sex with him. He has many successful years of one-night stands who swoon for a guy stuck in a bad marriage, until he meets and falls for Palmer, a girl who is not so cool with the idea of being a home-wrecker. After their roll in the sand, she finds his symbol of everlasting love (the fake ring) in his pants pocket. Rather than telling the truth and risking sounding like a douche, Danny does what comes so naturally to him and lies. The lie, of course, is not enough for the girl who wants to meet the ex, so Danny enlists the help of his assistant, Katherine, divorced mother of two and the one woman that knows all his truths, played by Jennifer Aniston. She poses as his not-so-nice, soon-to-be ex-wife. Things go smoothly during their little meeting, until she slips up and reveals she has kids, which means that she and Danny have kids. This makes Palmer like Danny even more and she wants to bond with the children. A sick and twisted extended family vacation to Hawaii ensues as well as a tangled mess of plot complications and Adam Sanldler humor.
"Just go with it" seems to be what the writers of this screenplay said to producers any time they examined the plot too closely. The focus seemed to be more on individual moments of comedy rather than on comical situations that build to a plausible climax and ending, the way a good comedy should. This is not to say that there were not some rather unique displays of comedic genius, as the crowd in the theater with me were not stingy on their laughs during certain points throughout the film. For the most part though, the physical comedies, jokes and perverted wit are an attempt to distract the audience away from all of the flows in the plot.
The writing is not the only thing to blame, however. I find it hard to believe that, given the large number of cast and crew that go into making any movie, there was not one person who campaigned hard enough to get the hideous false nose out of the movie. Yes, you read right...hideous false nose. It was a lame attempt to give Danny (Sandler) motivation to ditch vulnerability of being in love and become a liar and plastic surgeon. I must insist there had to have been a better way. I suppose it is supposed to be humorous, but it is just disturbing and a big turn-off so early in the movie. The nose goes away though, so things get a little better...at least, as much as the acting will allow it to get. This movie is what it is: A cross between a Jennifer Aniston movie and an Adam Sandler movie with the best of each cut out. Jennifer Aniston is sweet and likable while Adam Sandler is perverted and comical. Basically, they are both every character they have ever played. I suppose there is not much wrong with this except for the fact that this time they are in the same movie. I suspect I was not the only one who was a bit surprised to see them in a movie together, but I thought I'd give it a chance. Unfortunately, I was not wrong about thinking them to be a bad combination. There is no chemistry between them. Moments where I should have found myself sighing "how sweet," with my heart fluttering, I felt a bit disturbed.
The acting done by the kids was surprisingly touching and comical. Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck played Maggie and Michael, Katherine's (Aniston) kids in this movie, and they did the comedic moments and touching moments well. However, this is a bit overshadowed by the way they are treated and talked to by Danny (Sandler). He is hardly a loving father figure and I never really believe that he cares about them the way Katherine (Aniston) seems to think he does. This is just one of the issues with the plot. The kids are treated this way because it was thought to be comical and the attempt to make the movie comical led to the neglect of creating a likable lead character. He is only a good guy in the eyes of Katherine (Aniston). Danny is a character prepared to be invested in a relationship based on lies and is willing to pull anyone in with him to make it all happen. It is okay for the main character to be comical, but he must also be likable with redeeming qualities.
Hopefully you do not think I am being too critical. I do think it is worth One Hoot because there are some very funny moments including one involving a coconut that was very funny and disturbing at the same time. You will also come away with a new term for going to the bathroom (specifically number two). It is a good escape from reality and enjoyable, just don't analyze the plot too much.
The Bottom Line: Basically, If you plan to see this movie because you love Adam Sandler's movies like Waterboy, Billy Madison, and Happy Gilmore, don't see it. If you plan to see this movie because you want to see Jennifer Aniston fall in love and have touching relationship revelations, don't see this movie. If you care at all about having a realistic plot, don't see this movie. If you care at all about having a well put together romantic comedy plot, don't see this movie. If you want to see a stupid movie that will make you laugh a lot and that has perverted moments, go see this movie. If you were planning on seeing this with your significant other for Valentine's day, don't go see this movie. Basically, I thought it was alright and worth it for the laughs.
