The Adam Sandler who made us laugh with Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Waterboy and even Mr. Deeds and Click is dead and gone. I am not sure what has happened to Mr. Sandler, but his career is on a downward spiral. The truth is he hasn’t done an actual funny movie in at least a few years. And we all know he has the comedic chops to make something great and is capable of showing a different side of himself when he wants (Punch-Drunk Love, Funny People). However, his choice in material is getting worse and worse, and that should already be a hint as to what I think of his latest, That’s My Boy.
Donnie (Sandler) became a father while he was a teenager after getting his teacher pregnant. While the teacher/love of his life was sentenced to 30 years in prison, he raised his son until he was 18 years old and hasn’t seen him in years. His son Todd (played by Andy Samberg) has turned in to a decent young man who has become successful and is about to marry Jamie (Leighton Meester). On the eve of his wedding, his dear old man Donnie, the last person Todd ever wanted to see, shows up out of nowhere and wants to reconnect with his long-lost son. But Donnie’s reasons aren’t pure and he definitely has a motive, but both get more than they bargained for when Donnie is forced to confront his awful parenting skills and choices he has made and how it has affected his son and the shame he carries with him.
Director Sean Anders (Sex Drive) tries to get a message about family and the strong bond between a father and son no matter how bad things get across, but all that goes right out the window because of how ridiculous and flat-out idiotic the story is. Sandler plays a man who wishes he was still a kid. He drinks and masturbates all the time, and his voice is awful and irritating as hell. And poor Samberg never has a chance. He has a few scenes that put the spotlight on him and able to makes them his own. Overall, he is overshadowed by Sandler’s antics and that’s not a compliment. These two funny guys just aren’t that funny together.
As usual, Sandler has his gang in the movie and he also was able to get people like Vanilla Ice and Todd Bridges to be in it. Yeah it’s that dumb. However, there is one cameo that is actually really good and some of you may already know it, but either way I will not reveal it here. That’s My Boy is rated R and I was hoping this would allow Sandler to let loose but it never happens. I’m not saying you won’t laugh at all during the movie, but there is no way you will leave and think Sandler is back at the top of his game. Most jokes are funny once, but by the third or fourth time it’s stale and boring. A lot like Sandler and his career actually.
Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
Check out the SoBros Shop. Become a Patron. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
