Adam Sandler’s new film “The Do-Over” isn’t a comedy, but
that isn’t exactly a knock on the movie itself. The thing is that this time,
Sandler doesn’t even try to create a funny movie. Instead, what he has produced
has far more layers, creating a film that will stun Sandler fans and gratify
haters. Have you seen the reviews this movie has been getting? They’re
terrible. Viewers hate this film, and I’m going to go against the grain here
and say that they are missing the point. Hating on Adam Sandler has become cool
and fun, and reviewers drool at the thought of being the first person to dig
another foot deeper into Sandler’s grave. I’ll admit that I criticize Sandler
quite often, but deep down I admire his business plan and his ability to take
money from millions of Americans. I believe that this movie is getting
undeserved treatment. Is it a good movie? No, not by any means. But while the
topical nature of the film is classic Sandler low-brow comedy, the tone of the
film is like nothing Sandler has made before. I wouldn't even call this movie a
comedy. It’s certainly not funny, but I don’t think this is what Sandler was
going for here. The film expresses an overwhelming sense of sadness and
hopelessness, as if life is meaningless and the stakes are never as high as we
perceive them to be. The title character, played by David Spade, plays your
classic middle-class loser who has a wife who couldn’t care less about him,
kids that beat him around (in one scene they kick him in the crotch, so funny),
and a job that makes him feel like a loser. Well, he’s also a tech genius
apparently but still ends up with the same car from high school and a low-level
job. But it’s not the backstory of this character that creates such a helpless
and depressing feel in this film. The film is a redemption story in which
Sandler gives Spade the life he desires and deserves. Yes there's a lot of
product placement (Jenga is a key plot point, of all things). There’s the
typical Sandler biases that show through, such as that all popular or
attractive people have embarrassing secrets that threaten their masculinity.
Sandler humor is still present, as well. Don’t miss the scene where a guy’s
scrotum gets hung in David Spade’s face, because they’ll reference it over and
over again throughout the film. Then there’s the fact that this movie is comes
off as a paid vacation for Sandler and Spade (Sandler’s wife and kids were in
the movie with him, and the boat used is apparently his personal yacht). The
ending is also a mess in which every character seems to become a double agent,
die, and resurrect in a span of thirty minutes. However, the movie features a
surprisingly good performance by David Spade. It's not worthy of an Oscar, but
he does a great job of playing his character. If someone cared about this
movie, it was Spade. Although I’m not sure why he cares, given his money and
incredible love life. Seriously, look at the list of girls David Spade has
dated and you’ll see a phenomenon more shocking than anything else in Earthly nature.
The plot is your typical "normal guys get caught up in something bigger
than themselves," but for some reason it works. The characters seem to
have life in them this time, which is probably the result of hiring real actors
instead of the typical Sandler SNL cronies. There was no Rob Schneider, no Jon
Lovitz, no Kevin James, and only minimal amounts of Nick Swardson (the
strangest crony of all). It was refreshing to see a Sandler film acted by
people that played roles they actually fit.
So why is this movie so
depressing? After I watched this movie I closed my laptop and went to bed. But
as I laid in bed, I began to think about life and what it means to me. What
makes me happy? Where do I hope to end up? Maybe the more Sandler movies I
watch, the more I become like the people who enjoy his films, but this movie
made me think and feel, which Happy Madison films rarely do. This film seems to
send two big messages careening in opposite directions. One is that the life of
a Spade, steady job and family, is boring and unfulfilling, but ultimately safe
and peaceful. The other is that the life of a Sandler, radical monetary
spending and carefree behavior, is fun and exciting, but ultimately dangerous
and unhealthy. So what is Sandler telling us with this film? First of all, he’s
saying that even with his sickle nose and dorky appearance, he still can pull of
a tank-top. Second of all, he’s sending us a humbling message of the indulgence
that is candy-coated and wrapped up in a party-lifestyle presentation that his
audience will want to watch. Just like slipping diet pills into a chocolate
shake, Sandler seems to be warning his audience of the struggles of life to
come. Life doesn’t get better just because you’re riding on a fancy boat with
expensive food. The problems of life attack everyone, no matter how much money
you throw at them. Sandler knows this, and he’s trying to show it in this film.
This is the first Sandler film in quite a while that allows itself to bleed and
acknowledge the fact that life is not an Adam Sandler movie.
Overall, if you can
filter out the body humor, light homophobia, and heavy profanity, this movie
STILL may not be worth watching, but if you ever have the slight desire to
drone through it on Netflix, I think you'll be surprised by the result. I’d be
willing to bet that even Sandler is surprised at what he concocted, if he’s
even aware of it at all.
