Grown Ups 2 Blu-ray Review
As long as people keep paying to see them, Adam Sandler is going to keep making these kind of movies. Although I don’t hate his films as much as most critics, the nicest thing I can muster to say about GROWN UPS 2 is that it was moderately pleasant. That’s pretty much how I feel about all of his films in that they’re not impossible to watch, but they’re not really funny either. Sandler is a decent enough comedian and his group of former Saturday Night Live cast members is usually reliable for a couple of good laughs in a 90 minute film. GROWN UPS 2 is no exception as its lack of purpose can grate on you, but its whole comedic strategy is to shotgun you with random gags in hopes that something will eventually hit.
The first GROWN UPS focused on a group of friends reuniting at a summer camp and reliving the glory days of their youth. The follow-up finds these friends now living in that same town. I’m not completely sure how they all got there, but the filmmakers didn’t find that detail important, so I’m not going to question it. What happens next, you might ask? Nothing. Lenny (Adam Sandler) throws a party at the end of the movie and they have a rivalry with a college frat, but there’s no plot arc to speak of. It’s really just a series of comedy sketches stapled together. That’s true for all Happy Madison productions, but GROWN UPS 2 doesn’t try to be something it’s not.
The car wash scene from the trailer might be the highlight of the film and I wish I hadn’t seen it in the trailer because I probably would have laughed if I wasn’t expecting it. Taylor Lautner was good as the frat leader, but his character was underused. They could have expanded his part and made the movie more about their rivalry with Lenny and his friends. I find Salma Hayek funny in these movies because I really don’t think she’s in on the jokes half the time. I think she shows up, wears fancy dresses and just smiles when Adam Sandler says something. Everyone else shows up and does their part, but the only actor I think is trying is Kevin James. I find him mildly amusing, but I give him credit for really trying in his comedies. It’s nice to see a little effort now and again.
If this was a Judd Apatow film, I’d have to destroy it for its lack of plot, character development or consistent humor, but Adam Sandler has set the bar so low that he’s immune to those criticisms. For anyone that might complain about the GROWN UPS films, I ask you to watch YOU DON’T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN or JACK & JILL. After suffering through those, GROWN UPS 2 will feel like CADDY SHACK. So if we’re comparing the mediocrity of Adam Sandler movies, GROWN UPS 2 fares somewhere in the middle. It’s not unwatchable, but it’s also instantly forgettable and doesn’t deviate at all from the tried and true Adam Sandler formula.
GROWN UPS 2 BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: No complaints with the video quality of GROWN UPS 2.
Audio: The audio was sufficient.
Deleted Scenes (7:13): There’s nothing here that will change your mind about the film
Look Who Stopped By (4:27): A brief look at the new cast members
The Feder House (1:30): A quick tour of one of the sets.
Mr. Spade’s Wild Ride (2:09): The tire scene gets its own featurette
Shaq and Dante: Police Force (1:52): Shaq wasn’t bad in the film and this was a mildly amusing look at his parts.
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