Grown Ups: Movie Review

Adam Sandler took the major players from the 1992 cast of “Saturday Night Live,” put them in a movie, and named it Grown Ups. The actor co-wrote the screenplay and stars in the film, which includes a who’s who of comedy veterans. On the surface, it looks like an excuse for a group of 40-somethings to act like 12 year olds but surprisingly, beyond the crude jokes and gags, there’s a legitimate story about friendship and family…

The Players:

• Director: Dennis Dugan
• Cast: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello
• Writers: Adam Sandler, Fred Wolf
• Cinematography: Theo van de Sande
• Original Music By: Rupert Gregson-Williams

The Plot:

Grown Ups centers on a group of friends who reunite after 30 years following the death of their junior high basketball coach. While spending the holiday weekend together they reminisce about old times, reconnect with each other, and form new bonds with their families.

The Good

• The Cast: Watching so many SNL alumni in the same place at the same time brought back memories of when the show was actually good. The actors had great chemistry and it looked as if they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.
• The Story – The idea of grown men reliving their childhood, while trying to get their children to experience one void of video games and cell phones is an interesting concept. Sandler and Wolf took that premise, laced it with jokes, and made it entertaining while keeping it solid.
• The Direction: Dennis Dugan did a great job with the pace, the look, and the tone of the film. He made sure the main actors got their fair share of material and he kept everything balanced.
• The Comedy - It’s been a long time since any of the actors in this movie put out anything seriously funny but Grown Ups puts an end to that dry spell. This film delivers the laughs.

The Bad

• Villains: They weren’t flushed out at all. They were a group of misfits carrying around a 30 year old grudge for no logical reason. They were all one dimensional and didn’t have any real character development, which is unfortunate because Colin Quinn and Tim Meadows are also former SNL stars who are just as talented as the primary members of the cast.

Overall:

Grown Ups is a fun and enjoyable summer movie. The camaraderie between the actors is what makes the film worth it.

Rating: 8/10

Grown Ups hits theaters on June 25, 2010.

Photos:

Trailer:

Are you interested in seeing Grown Ups this weekend?