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June 1, 2014

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Infantile humor ruins Sandler flick

TO say that the new Adam Sandler movie, “Blended,” is better than some of his other recent work — “Jack and Jill,” for example — isn’t saying much. After all, some natural disasters cause less damage than others. But none are a positive development.

OK, that’s overly harsh to “Blended” — though not to “Jack and Jill.” But please understand the frustration. Some of us are old enough to recall a time when Sandler made movies that were funny. In “Blended,” Sandler mocks feminine hygiene products, cracks jokes about a young boy’s sexual explorations and a teen girl’s futile efforts to boost her flat chest.

But there’s something else disappointing about “Blended,” which stars Sandler and Drew Barrymore (in their third collaboration) as single parents thrown together on an African family vacation. There are sparks of sweetness, moments of tenderness, mostly thanks to Barrymore’s sunny and grounded presence (one shudders to imagine this movie without her) and the relaxed chemistry between the stars. But the moments don’t stay sweet. They’ll end with something like Sandler loudly urinating. Or two rhinos copulating. Tee hee.

Sandler plays Jim, a widower with three daughters who works at a sporting-goods store. Barrymore is Lauren, divorced from her narcissistic husband and trying to juggle parenting two boys with running a closet-organizing service with her gal pal (Wendi McLendon-Covey). They first meet on a disastrous blind date. But, of course, they keep running into each other again.

The coincidences keep happening, and so, eventually, and don’t ask how, Jim and Lauren are both in South Africa, not only in the same resort, but the same suite. They’re appalled to discover each other, but of course, there’s much to be learned over the ensuing days, about parenting, friendship, romance, family and wildlife.

In case we didn’t absorb those lessons, we’re reminded of them by our singing — and bumping, and grinding — musical narrator, Terry Crews. There’s also a not-very-funny side-plot involving a leering husband (Kevin Nealon) and a bride who expresses excitement by shaking her boobs (tee hee again). Not surprisingly, there is little attempt to depict real Africans.

The most promising scenes involve the children, especially Jim’s daughters and their attempts to replace their late mother’s presence (although these can veer toward the maudlin). There’s a little blonde moppet called Lou, a middle daughter named Espn, after the network, and a tomboy teen.

There are enough scenes in “Blended” that remind us there’s a fairly decent movie trying to breathe underneath the infantile humor. Maybe one day, Sandler will liberate that movie.




 

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