Adam Sandler films have never been about being clever and witty. Besides the unexpected emotional turn in Click, his movies usually result in backhanded compliments and subtle insults. Grown Ups is no exception. The film is about five former middle school basketball players who reunite to attend their coach’s funeral. They bring all their families to a lake house for a weekend of fun. The fathers all try to show their spoiled children how to have a good time without video games or texting (a recurring theme in the film). The movie is basically Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider insulting each other for an hour and a half. Zingers, one-liners, and fart jokes are littered throughout the movie. There is also no shortage of injuries against fat people (Kevin James) or short people (Rob Schneider). The plot is put on the back burner, as the focus is usually on who got the better put-down, even at the funeral. Majority of the jokes are pretty lame, but there are some instances where I gave a chuckle. The scene in question is when Schneider, who plays a vegan in the film, offers Sandler a dehydrated banana and Sandler proceeds to slap him with it. It was a welcome change from Kevin James’ fluffy humor that resembles Jay Leno’s. One thing that caught my attention was how Adam Sandler's character never really got insulted. In fact, he was responsible for most of the one-liners, usually with Schneider at the butt of his jokes. I guess being a successful agent in Hollywood with a beautiful wife leads to a perfect life, with the exception of the snotty kids. In the end, the film mostly consists of tender family moments and a plethora of non-offensive jokes. Grown Ups would make a pretty decent rental on Netflix, or if they still exist, Blockbuster.
