MOVIE - Blended

PG-13 (1:31)
Wide release 5/23/2014
Viewed last week of August, 2014 at cheap theater
RT Critic:  14   Audience:  66
cag: 3 As ridiculous as it was, I liked it
Directed by Frank Coraci
Warner Brothers Studio

Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore

My thoughts:  I knew exactly what this movie was going to be - stupid and silly and funny and mostly pointless.  It was all of that.  But it was Adam Sandler and it was funny, yup, stupidly clever all over the place.  It was a waste of time and it was just what I needed.  Both.

RT Summary:  After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren and Jim agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week in "Blended," the third comedy collaboration between stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore.

MOVIE - Grown Ups 2

PG-13 (1:41)

Wide Release 7-12-13

Viewed at Century Cheapies on Kolb, Friday 11-22-2013

RT Critic: 7 Audience:  57

Cag: 3 liked it although it was REALLY stupid (it HAS made over $133 million dollars!)

Directed by Dennis Dugan

Sony Pictures

Adam Sandler et al

My comments:  I liked Grown Ups (the first one) and I knew this would probably be the last chance to see this version on the "big screen," so off I went.  I really like to see a movie after school on Friday, and I've been shooting for light faire (Friday is a really tough day at school, full and intense) so this actually fit the bill perfectly.  It certainly wasn't profound or cleverly funny; it was just plain silly and fun to watch.  Yup.  Fun.  It was perfect for the mood I was in, just what I'd expected (and I always enjoy Adam Sandler, no matter how stupid....).

Rotten Tomatoes:  The all-star comedy cast from Grown Ups returns (with some exciting new additions) for more summertime laughs. Lenny (Adam Sandler) has relocated his family back to the small town where he and his friends grew up. This time around, the grown ups are the ones learning lessons from their kids on a day notoriously full of surprises: the last day of school.

MOVIE - Grown Ups

A hilarious movie
Released June 25, 2010
PG-13 (1:42)
7/18/2010 at Oro Valley Marketplace
RT: 10% cag: MUCH MORE:
Director: Dennis Dugan

Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider

Don't go by the reviews - or even the trailers - for this one. It is lots better than either will tell you. I expected a stupid movie, and this is not at all what this movie is. Sure, it's got it's "stupid" parts. But those are few and far between the hilarious antics these five old friends (and their families) go through. I laughed out loud. A lot. Over and over.

These five guys have been closest of friends in a small New England community since childhood. They have all gone their ways, but still have a strong bond. The glue that holds them together is the big basketball championship they won when they were 12, and the coach they all adored. Upon his death thirty years later, they all converge at the funeral with their respective families. They continue from the funeral to a cabin on a lake in the same area where they grew up, spending a week together....spouses, kids, and even a spare mother-in-law and family dog.

It's fun and funny, heartwarming and thoughtful. You really believe that these guys are friends, that the wives and kids bond with each other, and you wish you were one of them, along for the ride. Loved it.