Appearing recently on Jimmy Kimmel’s show Adam Sandler was asked if he makes movies now just as a way to go on vacation. Somewhat surprisingly he said that he does and has been since 50 First Dates. Sandler-invariably easier to take in interviews than on the big screen-clearly didn’t shy away from the answer and it’s extremely telling. It’s clear at this point that he’s doing this more for his own benefit than the audience’s. In practically every sense his recent work all plays like fantasy camp idiocy. If the primary motivation for making Blended, his new movie with Drew Barrymore, was to get away to South Africa, then it shows. But what’s the meaning of any of his movies now except to hang out with buddies, star opposite total babes, earn big paydays and have a real good time? Was anything deeper going on in either Grown Ups or its sequel than that? And does a man as wealthy as Sandler is really need the excuses or the help to live it up?
The funny thing about movies though, like virtually everything worth making and experiencing, is that they really are hard work. And it’s not too demanding to expect that every once in a blue moon they reflect some of the thought and sweat that went into them. Blended most definitely doesn’t, location be damned. This is lazy to the point of being downright insulting. In other words, it’s just your typical Sandler movie. No better or worse than some of the others, perhaps, but every inch as sophomoric and indifferent and with the added bonus of family-friendly sticky sentiments.
Blended begins with a blind date gone about as bad as a first encounter can possibly go. Sandler and Barrymore play Jim and Lauren, single parents meeting for the first time at a Hooters. He won’t even make eye contact with her (he’s focused on sports and the young waitresses) and she’s rightly offended he chose Hooter’s. It starts off bad and from very quickly devolves into unfunny hostility and timeless gross out humor. There’s no goodbye kiss or promise of a second date at the end. When they cross each other’s paths again, it’s a chance encounter at a drug store. The script (by Clare Sera and Ivan Menchell) finds pretty spurious reasons to keep them bumping into each other and by the time they’re both outraged to see the other one at a South African resort with their families (they’ve been booked into the same room), it’s a real eye roller.
These two people, it must be completely clear, flat out can’t stand each. That’s the only joke the movie really has and it grinds it promptly into the ground. Blended gives you every reason why Jim and Lauren shouldn’t be together, but does a much better job of making you dislike both of them and not give a damn about the outcome. The gimmicky script by Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera makes sure the prickly distaste stretches to their kids as well. Jim has three daughters (the mother died from cancer) and Lauren has two hyperactive young teen sons (her husband cheated on her and left). Isn’t it perfect (poetic, even) that Jim has all girls and Lauren two boys? Isn’t it a hoot that her job is organizing closets or that big ole obtuse dad Jim drags his daughters to the barber to get made up like men? And isn’t it a riot that the older son keeps referring to his mom as a hottie?
Blended