Aylmer to Zazzoo and Beyond: Grown Ups 2

Friday, July 12, 2013

Grown Ups 2 - Review

Grown Ups 2
(2013 - July 11)
Comedy
1 hr. 41 min.

Rated: PG-13 Crude, sophomoric sequel, strong language, lewd and suggestive content including rude and sexist bathroom humor and some male rear nudity Read more
Grade: D+

Director: Dennis Dugan
Writers: Fred Wolf, Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihy
Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock | See full cast and crew

The all-star comedy cast from "Grown Ups" returns (with some exciting new additions) for more summertime laughs. Lenny (Adam Sandler) after moving his family back home to the small town where he and his friends grew up, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers that sometimes crazy follows you.

I had serious reservations about this film before heading to the theater, in fact how bad is this going to be...my expectations were realized if not surpassed.

This movies predecessor Grown Ups was described by critics as a lazy, lowbrow effort from a talented group of people who should have known better. Now we have the sequel, Grown Ups 2, and the critics are being even less flattering, this followup is called a mean-spirited, scatological, phoned-in bore, and I have little reason to disagree with the general consensus.

It's the last day of school in the small New England town where Lenny (Adam Sandler) and his buddies (Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade) grew up and have now returned to as (so they say) adults, family men. They reminisce about the glory days of their youth, get into trouble with a group of frat boys led by Andy (Taylor Lautner), and throw a raging 1980s-themed kegger.

Grown Ups 2 is a lazy and lame attempt to create a franchise, it is a stunningly inept, indifferently-crafted film relying on broad, tired, tossed-off gags from and enormously talented cast that barely manages to evoke a chuckle.

Expect more of the same gags and jokes that were old and unfunny when in Grown Ups, there is nothing new here. In its hour and forty-one minuet running time I did manage a few smiles and one maybe to chuckles. It's third-grade humor may appeal to kids and the mush filled skulls of college freshmen, or perhaps those that find Will Farrell movies wildly funny. It isn't good news for an Adam Sandler comedy when Taylor Lautner is one of the best things you have going for you.

Grown Ups 2 again boasts a very talented cast, not only the headliner stars but an impressive assortment of supporting players and cameo performances. A bit of cast trivia: Maya Rudolph, Deanna McKinzie, is the daughter of the late singer Minnie Ripperton; Oliver Hudson, Kyle the aerobics instructor is the son of Goldie Hawn; Patrick Schwarzenegger, Frat Boy Cooper, is the son of Maria Schriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger; Adam Sandler's wife and daughters, Jackie, Sadie and Sunny Sandler, play Principal Tardio's wife and children; Shaquille O'Neal, Officer Fluzoo, is a former NBA World Champion; Chris Rock, Kurt McKenzie, was raised in the New York ghetto neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant; Steve Austin, Tommy Cavanaugh, is a former WWF, and WWE Champion known as 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin; and more than a dozen of the cast of Grown Ups 2 are current or former Saturday Night Live cast members.

Looking for positives, at least they avoided the repetitive use of the 'F' bomb so prevalent in this particular genre of film, kudos for that. The film will for anyone who lived through the 80s dredge up a lot of nostalgic memories during the 80s themed costume party. Costumer, Ellen Lutter, has done an incredible job resurrecting scores of actors, singers and celebrities you will recognize from that unique and distinctive decade. The 80s party scene offered a tad of redemption for the wasted 101 minuets that Adam Sandler and friends stole from my life.