After the laughter occupied zone that was You Don't Mess With The Zohan, I was prepared to accept that the normally unfunny Adam Sandler would start making comedy that contained proper humour; in essence, stuff that would make me laugh. I wrote off 2009's Funny People as another attempt by Sandler to stretch his dramatic side, but fully expected his return to mainstream blockbuster comedies to be on a par with the excellent Zohan.
I couldn't have been more wrong. What makes it worse is that Grown Ups is an ensemble comedy featuring Sandler's closest pals from regular collaborator Rob Schneider to Kevin James, Davis Spade and Chris Rock. All that talent and nothing to laugh at. It's as if the very concept of them all sharing the screen would be enough for audiences to roar with laughter and so a script was never required. Perhaps they decided that the comedy would be the result of some magical ad-libbing and improvisation...but it that's the case, the only people that finds this group funny is each other. In fact the only person to actually be funny is Steve Buscemi in a small , but well timed cameo.
There's no story to speak off. What you get instead are a dozen subplots hanging on the weak premise of five blokes who've been reunited after 20 years. It's also a weak PG-13, sentimental family comedy as well, so any attempt to raise a giggle by swearing or any other daringly inappropriate behaviour is off the table. Grown Ups is safer than safe. It's a baby smothered to death by an over-protective parent that now finds itself cradling a rotting corpse of a movie. Still despite that unappealing image it's still has more likability as a 'comedy' than Dinner For Schmucks or Funny People, but I'd recommend you don't watch this unless your kids have demanded you see it one Christmas Day afternoon or if it's one of your Iraqi hostage takers demands.
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