Click review by Jackass Tom

I never know what to think of an Adam Sandler movie when it comes out. Like the ole song says, “Should I stay or should I go?” I’ve been more a fan of Sandlers earlier stuff (Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore) which are short on long brain cells, but long on short term laughs. His more recent stabs at comedy and dramedy (Waterboy and Spanglish although the later could be considered more a James Brooks movie) failed to really show me anything memorable. Waterboy was just stupid without the funny and Spanglish was annoying and forgettable. From the previews Click seems to more soft and accessible, like a nerf ball. Going into the movie, I’m just hoping that nerfball doesn’t hit me square in the groin.

Click starts off funny enough. Its like any of these other “Saturday Night Live” comedies where something supernatural happens to an average Joe. Other comedies I’m thinking of include Animal, 50 First Dates, and that other Schneider movie where he is actually a chick (The internet reminds me that this brainy movie was called The Hot Chick). An overworked Adam Sandler comes home to a house full of remote controls and he never knows if he is changing channels or opening a garage door. So he drives, like any rage driven man would, to whatever store is open in the middle of the night that might sell a universal remote to fix his problem. The only store open late enough happens to be Bed, Bath and Beyond. Like a joke out of a Family Guy episode, he finds the Beyond section to be more beyond than just non-Bed and non-Bath home supplies. The universal remote he purchases from Mad Science-Morty (Christopher Walken; who is always the bright spot in any really bad SNL movie) ends up being a remote to control the speed of his life. It can pause things around him, turn down to the volume or even fast forward through the not so great moments.

Naturally Sandler uses this remote to do a couple funny things like mute his wife while she is yelling at him, fast forward through foreplay and sex, and replay some embarrassing scenes from his past, etc. There are some laughs, most of which include his sexist boss (David Hasselhoff). Ok, so he punches and farts on the guy; that appeals to my lowbrow. But after a while, the laughs wear thin and we find ourselves smack in the middle of a feel better about yourself social commentary with Sandler at the center.

Oh no! Only Frank Capra could save us now!

Its always an awkward transition when a movie goes from fart jokes to re-examining some of the characters values. In this case, Sandler ends up abusing the fast forward option on his remote and misses all important events in his family in favor of moving his career forward. Its not even that he finds his career rewarding but more frustrating because he works his butt off for a jackass-Hasselhoff-boss and never gets promoted when he expects to. But the point is, his main focus in life is his job and not his family.

And in the end he gets a second chance… its such a ripoff of It’s a Wonderful Life that I’m surprised Sandler didn’t wish the “Ole Savings and Loan” a Happy Hanukah. As this whole spree of emotion is occurring and I’m choking back tears, I reflected back on other Sandler movies (some he wishes he had a second chance on) to see where his moving making has gone. He began making movies about nobody-slackers who turned themselves into somebodies through hardwork and grow in the process (Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Big Daddy all follow this theme). But now, his movies (Spanglish and Click) spins that around and says that people who work hard never stop to smell the roses. I’m waiting for him to put the two themes together to create one confused character. Seriously though, its kind of funny how that whole thematic progression in his movies works...

Overall, I can’t say Click was a bad movie. Its far from it. I got wrapped up in the ordinary characters and got pulled into the story even as it veered into Jimmy Stewart-land. But I can’t say it was that great of a movie either. Sandler yells and screams like a buffoon too much to be considered “everyman” and frankly I prefer him still as a bit of a goony oof than I do the guy that I could liken my life to. I probably expected more stupid humor from Sandler and less theme. Is that bad of me?




5 out of 10 Jackasses
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