Publications
Partners
What it's about:
Five childhood friends, Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), Rob (Rob Schneider) and Marcus (David Spade), who played in the same basketball team in junior high, reunite after 30 years for the funeral of their coach “Buzzer” (Blake Clark). In accordance with Buzzer’s last wish, they go to the old lake house to cast his ashes, where they also celebrated a championship win all those years ago. They decide to bring their families and stay for the weekend to reconnect as friends in remembrance of their coach.
What we thought:
So… Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade: a hilarious combination, right? Well, it could’ve been, but no… it’s not funny enough. Scriptwriters Adam Sandler and Fred Wolf definitely didn’t make use of these actors full potential.
The film starts with the five friends winning their junior high basketball championship and while celebrating their victory at the lake house their coach conveys a very important life-lesson: to live their lives in a similar way to how they played the game.
After Coach Buzzer’s funeral, the men take their families to the lake house. Lenny, a big shot Hollywood agent and his fashion designer wife Roxanne (Salma Hayek) have three kids. The two boys are so spoiled they actually text their nanny to bring them hot chocolate to the living room.
Eric, a co-owner of a lawn furniture business (sort of) and his wife Sally (Maria Bello) have a daughter and a four-year-old son who still breastfeeds. Kurt is a stay at home dad while he’s wife is the breadwinner, Rob is a thrice divorced vegan who is married to a women 30 years older than him and Marcus is the single womaniser. Feel like a family reunion yet?
The plot? There isn’t one, they just crack jokes at each other's expense all the time: and for all the obvious reasons. Some of the jokes are really funny, but the comedy of it all disappears in the wake of the disappointment. I mean, really, not even Chris Rock managed to raise any chuckles, and we all know what he’s capable of.
While the the gang are having fun, a life lesson or two is learned: Lenny and his wife decide realise how important family is; Eric learns to take pride in his work; Kurt's wife appreciates him more and so on, you get the picture?
You will laugh out loud… a few times. You will probably feel all warm and fuzzy inside and go “Awww…" at the appropriate moments. But most of all you’ll go, "WTF?" when it’s all over.
