Seems every movie Sandler does these days gets hated on. People saying this is the worst movie ever made in history...really? You people must not have seen many movies. Regardless of what Sandler does the rest of his career its now popular to point out how it sucks and not as funny as his old movies. I enjoyed this movie, laughing out loud several times. Sandler does a great job playing the father. The bachelor party scenes are epic, really feel for the characters. Uncle Vanny? Hilarious. At no point in this movie did I think "oh man this is the worst thing I've seen in my life." Had good feeling, good comedy, a solid entry to Sandlers recent works. Much much better than the one where he played his sister.
322 Reviews
Not bad at all
ajman199822 July 2012
okay look, I'm one of Sandler's biggest fans. No jokes. I spent over a year learning a Bobby Busche impression, just for the amusement of myself. You guys are too hard on him. How can a guy not make a few flops??? This film wasn't even bad. Other than the over use of crude jokes, it was good. If you edited about 10 or 15 minutes of the crude and sexual jokes out of this, it would've been Sandler gold. The character he played was really original, not one of those family guy characters he just keeps on playing over and over. It was like his mid 90 characters like Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, the ones that made us love him. Of course, it wasn't as good as a character. Overall, a pretty fair film that could've been great with the edits. I really don't know how you can say you walked out of the theater?!!! Same with Jack and Jill, it was bad, but it didn't deserve the horrible reviews. The guys made about 20 massive hits, how's he not gonna make one or two flops??? Anyways Sandler, make the edits and re-put it in theaters and I think it'll do way better.
Adam Sandler is back
dar041711 February 2020
Funniest movie of the year!
jellyneckr6 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
In the 1990s, Adam Sandler starred in three of the funniest, most juvenile comedies of all time: Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and Big Daddy. Despite being destroyed by critics, all three of these movies went on to gain big cult followings and, in my opinion, hold up extremely well today. In the decade that followed, Sandler went on to produce films through Happy Madison Productions at a rapid rate, generally one or more a year. The quality of these varied, but the worst ones were those that simply tried to replicate either story beats or gags from his hits from the 90s. With this year's That's My Boy, Sandler went in a direction none of his previous Happy Madison Productions had gone before: a definitely not-for-the-kids, hard R-rated comedy. Even if this may have contributed to the poor box office performance of That's My Boy, it also made it the funniest movie of the year and Sandler's best work in over ten years. That's My Boy isn't rated R simply for a few F-bombs or a few crude comments, it's rated R for pretty much everything (except violence). This is an audaciously dirty flick, one that opens by pushing the envelope and never lets up. In the first ten minutes alone, the filmmakers basically declare war on good taste and do their best to go for the filthy at almost every opportunity from that point on. It's almost as if Sandler and friends kept a huge notebook of gags they knew were too out there for their previous PG-13 efforts and decided to put every single one of them into this. Had these jokes not been funny, this could have been terrible to sit through and indeed some people may not enjoy it at all, but I personally found most of it hilarious. While some may argue that this is more of a gross-out exercise than a legitimate piece of cinema, director Sean Anders at least tries to make the audience have a mild emotional connection to the main characters and, to me, is rather successful. These aren't complex characters, but they are fun and interesting even if they aren't 100% likable all the time. Sandler has never been funnier and despite talking in a typical goofy Sandler voice, makes Donny his most memorable character in quite some time (I love the open beer in almost every scene). What makes Sandler's performance really work is that no matter how absurd or mean the character may be at times, his love for his son is still believable within the context of the film and not something that is shoe-horned into the story to give it some heart. As his son, Andy Samberg is able to hold his own and gives his best comedic performance to date. The two have a really entertaining chemistry as father and son even though their age difference isn't that huge (it's explained). The inspired pairing of Sandler and Samberg, along with the excellent fast-paced direction from Anders, make this the funniest movie I've seen in years. The story can be picked apart if analyzed deep enough and everyone can attack it on the grounds that it is stupid, but I had a great time with it. There are few things better than being provided with solid laughs for a little bit and with that mindset, That's My Boy delivered for me. 9/10
am i the only one who mildly enjoyed it?!?!?!?
mbs16 July 2012
Yes, its not nearly as good as anything Sandler starred in in the 90's but i would argue that its about on par with most of the stuff he's been in in the 00's laugh wise. (On the scale of movies from the 00's,I think its probably the equivalent to "I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry" if only Andy Samburg were as good playing off of Sandler as Kevin James was. Samburg's not bad, but the movie really doesn't let him do anything outside being the straight man here.) Its certainly got more laughs in it then Jack and Jill at the least. No, not everything that's in it is funny, yes it goes on for way, way, way longer then it should. Yes, some of the jokes are pretty awful. Yes the premise is quite unbelievable. (30 years after the student/teacher affair scandal rocked the tabloids--why would random people still know who Sandler's character is by sight? especially if he hasn't been in the media in a good decade or two at that point and he was near completely broke???) Plot holes aside I would still be lying if i said that i didn't laugh at a fair number of things that happen throughout the film, and i would be lying if i said that i didn't think the semi serious scenes between Sandler and Samburg didn't work. I thought they were really effective. The scene where Sandler is hugging Samburg and tells him he regrets letting him go all those years ago and that he wished he'd been a better dad and samburg drunkenly forgiving him and kind of shrugging off the years of resentment actually felt heartfelt and genuine. That's really what drunken forgiveness looks like. It was kind of similar to the scenes in "Chuck and Larry" where Sandler stands up in open court and says how he feels flat out about people who call him names and how much they hurt more then he'd ever care to admit in public. Sure those scenes were written to give both films some semblance of dramatic heft--and to give Sandler something dramatic to play-but to me they were both effective, and they both show how even in somewhat tossed off comedies Sandler can still manage to maintain his dignity on screen and come off as a better actor then the material. Maybe he really has become a better actor as he's gotten older, because i really think he's a lot better at playing these serious heartfelt moments towards the last half hour of his films where his character is supposed to learn a lesson then he's ever been before. (Especially in something like Click where the humor turns much more bittersweet in the last half) Its because I felt that Sandler geuinely wanted to be a better person to his kid, that i thought the ending worked, (even if the end reveal does kind of come out of nowhere) and i thought the movie to be a resonably good time if you've liked sandler's movies these past number of years more or less....and c'mon some of the things happening are pretty funny.
Also the very quick scene with Vanilla Ice where Sandler asks him to drive him at the end and Vanilla goes "You Kidding Me????" and then strikes a pose and then Sandler waits a beat and says "Is that a yes or a no? I don't know what that pose means Ice." was pretty hilarious--and that was just a tossed off thing. (Why wouldn't Sandler's character be friends with Vanilla Ice anyways???)
Also the very quick scene with Vanilla Ice where Sandler asks him to drive him at the end and Vanilla goes "You Kidding Me????" and then strikes a pose and then Sandler waits a beat and says "Is that a yes or a no? I don't know what that pose means Ice." was pretty hilarious--and that was just a tossed off thing. (Why wouldn't Sandler's character be friends with Vanilla Ice anyways???)
Adam Sandler's raunchiest movie
Chris Brown17 May 2012
Fun, funny, and raunchy. This is the dirtiest film Adam Sandler has ever made. And I'm not some idiot who likes every Adam Sandler movie.* This movie has lots of laughs. At the advanced screening, people were laughing so loudly that I sometimes couldn't hear the next line. If you like immature, silly movies (like Sandler's most popular work), then this is a great movie. This is the kind of film that Adam Sandler has always been capable of making even though he chose to take a break so he could work on movies to watch with his wife and kids. Adam Sandler's character Donny Berger is a lovable sleazeball, exactly what you've seen in the trailers. Andy Samberg is the straight man in the routine. This movie has some great casting of young talents (Eva Amurri, Leighton Meester) and veterans (James Caan, Tony Orlando). I hate pointless cameos, and this movie had a couple. Erin Andrews's 8 seconds of screen time were completely pointless. However, I loved every second of Ian Zeiring and Alan Thicke. If I'd have never watched football, I would have completely believed that Rex Ryan was a professional actor. He's a natural, but I could have done without the wink-at-the-camera football references that pander at sports fans. I don't want to spoil the plot, but you can expect lots of sex jokes and surprising moments. Also, because Donny was an 80's kid who basically never grew up, this movie has lots of funny 80's references. But it never felt like rehashed material from the Wedding Singer. Bottom line: If you like crude sexual humor and you go into this movie with an open mind, you're going to have a great time.
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*I like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. I thought Mr. Deeds was mediocre. 50 First Dates was very disappointing (about 2 jokes in that movie). I refused to watch Jack and Jill.
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*I like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. I thought Mr. Deeds was mediocre. 50 First Dates was very disappointing (about 2 jokes in that movie). I refused to watch Jack and Jill.
Simply Awful
richterj23219 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
In short, a comedy without any comedy. While I regularly enjoy disgusting remarks in movies, I was often laughing at how bad the jokes in That's My Boy were rather than at their humor. Between Adam Sandler jacking off to an elderly woman, and the uncreative quips made about the statutory rape involving him and his teacher, I felt embarrassed for the actors who had to deliver the ultimately atrocious lines. And just when I thought the movie couldn't get any worse, it threw a horrific curve ball with the incorporation of incest to heighten the conflict between the bride and groom-to-be. The insertion of this was not only distasteful, but a weak attempt to add originality and intrigue to the already ridiculous plot line. That's My Boy is yet another representation of Adam Sandler's downfall as an actor, and modern cinema's desperation to push the limits too far past socially acceptable. An overwhelming disappointment.
This Was A Surprise Of Joy For Sandler!
Mickjmor16 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Adam Sandler has had a buzz full of movies that have made him & absolutely braked him! Jack & Jill last year was one of them.. but this film proves that he's still got that funny outraged charm that hes well known for in Hollywood! Thats My Boy was a pleasant surprise to watch, I was expecting it to be not that great at all, but I was wrong! The film starts off slow, but as it goes along from throughout it gets better & more funner & funnier to watch. This is a role that reminds of his days of playing characters like The Waterboy & Little Nicky but much more perverse with the use of his Wedding Singer wig that he decided to wear for this movie to bring the 80's funk for his character! Andy Samberg was great as the portrayal of his son, they really share a good chemistry together on screen. You could see a resemblance towards their faces as you kept seeing their likeness together on screen. This is by far Sandlers most naughtiest & most inappropriate film hes done in a long time, This film really brings me back to his 90's style era that I absolutely loved & cherished! I give this film an 8 for a good pleasure of Sandlers brand of Comedy!
P.S If You Love Sandler? You'll Love This!
P.S If You Love Sandler? You'll Love This!
You have been warned.
neofita27 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Never been Adam Sandler fan, but watched a few films with him that were somehow funny and watchable. This film, on the other hand, starts bad and then it gets worse. The whole premise with 13 year old boy banging his teacher is a great idea for opening of a comedy... for 12 year old, perhaps. Then we go to adult version of our protagonist and we get Redneck Sandler who, possibly to add more humour, speaks with a voice/tone/style/word choice of a kid. Here and there we see him confronted with 'normal' people and see how funny it is when, for example, he's masturbating to a photograph of some old grandma. Situations/jokes that are supposed to be funny are in most cases based on shocking/disgusting the viewer. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are different types of jokes, and I like crude/vulgar humour. But then I expect it to be added without contempt to a viewer's intelligence. In this film it looked as if the 12 year old boys made a film for themselves.
I felt dumber with every minute I spent watching and that's my final word on this production.
I felt dumber with every minute I spent watching and that's my final word on this production.
A family movie the only way Happy Madison knows how!
timvance12322 July 2012
For those who have not seen "That's My Boy" I can say it is worth the admission fee. Over the past few years we have not seen the "Wild" side of Sandler. While it is not the most "Family Appropriate" movie, but it is a funny comedy. This movie is an excellent example of a true comedy. There were not only a few funny scenes, but it contains a term i like to call CONSTANT COMEDY. This film shows a father son connection the only way Adam Sandler and his company Happy Madison films now how. By making you laugh. Compared to other Sandler comedies this one has a great story behind it. The movie has a couple of dual scenes at the beginning but that is only so you can catch your breath for two hours of laughter form this next great film brought to you by the producers of comedy films by Happy Madison.
And Now The Excited Southerner Makes a Stupid Movie
D_Burke17 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A dumb lead character in a comedy can result in a funny movie. However, if every other character is dumb enough to be even slightly charmed by a vulgar, drunken, slovenly 41-year-old man with an annoying voice who looks like a washed-up Guns N Roses roadie, plausibility flies right out the window, and so do the laughs.
"That's My Boy" has more promise in its male leads than it ultimately delivers. After all, Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg have a lot more in common besides initials. They're both Saturday Night Live alumni who made names for themselves by writing original, funny songs. They also both practically single-handedly revitalized SNL's popularity by attracting a younger following.
You would think a movie starring both of them would showcase each of their talents. Unfortunately, in "That's My Boy", Samberg was restricted to a straight man role, while Sandler routinely eats scenery with his atrocious Boston accent that sounds more Louisianan.
The film's premise does not leave much room for laughs as it is. Sandler plays Donny, a native of Somerville, Massachusetts who, when he's 13 years old, has a thing for older women, particularly his teacher, Miss McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino).
When Miss McGarricle takes too much of a liking to the young Donny, they have sex, they get caught, and Miss McGarricle gets pregnant. She bears a son, but gets sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In a contrived, totally unrealistic plot point that only serves as fodder for jokes later on in the film, young Donny is ordered by the court, who apparently had never heard of child care services, to raise his newborn son. Even more unrealistically, Donny becomes a celebrity, sells his life story for six figures, and blows his money away.
The second part of that scenario rubbed me the wrong way already. Do you remember the name of the boy with whom 6th grade teacher Mary Kay Letorneau had sex? I don't. That boy was featured in the New York Times, but not on the cover of Teen Beat!
Anyway, Donny's son Todd (Samberg) grows up to become a successful hedge fund manager, but only after moving away from Donny when he turned 18 (Again, child services anyone?). Donny, on the other hand, spends his money so irresponsibly that he ultimately owes $43,000 in back taxes.
When he finds out about Todd's engagement to beautiful Jamie (Leighton Meester), Donny convinces a TV talk show host to pay him $50,000 for exclusive footage of Donny, Todd, and Todd's biological mother (still in jail) reuniting at last. Such a contrived plot point serves as the reason Donny shows up unannounced to Todd's wedding site days before the wedding.
Rather than the wedding party, consisting of Jamie's family and Todd's boss Steve Spirou (Tony Orlando), being repulsed by Donny's disheveled hair, ratty clothes, vernacular that consists of the f-word spoken every third sentence, and his irritating faux Boston accent, they somehow see his charm. It's surprising, because if a guy who acted like Donny showed up at my wedding, I would call security before he even opened his mouth.
Naturally, because Donny is a boy who never grew up, his shenanigans supposedly ruin Todd's plans for the perfect wedding. The usual cliché plot points happen when Donny and Todd have a falling out the night before the wedding, sentimental music borrowed from "Full House" reruns play during the night scenes, and the climax happens right when the bride and groom are taking their vows.
I should note that there's also a plot twist involving the bride that was so out of left field that it landed in another ball park. Without giving it away, I really wish the film hadn't gone there. That twist made me cringe far more than it made me laugh.
Add those hackneyed wedding movie story lines to Sandler's constantly disseminating his tired onslaught of fat jokes, penis gags, fart noises, antics revolving around elderly people having sex, and homophobic humor, and you've got "That's My Boy". The difference between him doing those jokes in this movie and his last movie, "Jack and Jill" (2011), is that here, when using an irritating voice, he doesn't cross dress.
Don't get me wrong, though. I don't hate Adam Sandler. In fact, "Happy Gilmore" (1996), "The Wedding Singer" (1998), and "The Waterboy" (1998) still make me laugh both because the jokes are fresher and funnier, and because Sandler's character in those movies had heart. Here, he plays a buffoon so obnoxious you want to punch him in the face.
The other jokes not spoken by Sandler, but by other characters, fall flat 9 times out of 10. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan plays Sandler's financial adviser who happens to be a huge New England Patriots fan. Get it? Because he's actually the Jets coach in real life? Hardy har har!
Among the many cameos in this film, the only one that's genuinely funny is Vanilla Ice, who plays himself. He surprisingly does such a good job parodying his image from 20 years ago that Happy Madison Productions should actually give him his own movie.
However, Vanilla Ice's role in the movie reflected the problem of "That's My Boy": when Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg are in a movie together, the funniest person should not be Vanilla Ice! Sandler really needs to reevaluate his on-screen humor and his career. While his movies are making money, he's gradually losing credibility.
To paraphrase an earlier, funnier Sandler movie ("Billy Madison" (1995)), "That's My Boy" is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point in this rambling, incoherent film was Sandler even close to anything that could be considered funny. Everyone in my screening room is now dumber for having seen it. I award this movie 2 out of 10 stars, and may God have mercy on Adam Sandler's soul.
"That's My Boy" has more promise in its male leads than it ultimately delivers. After all, Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg have a lot more in common besides initials. They're both Saturday Night Live alumni who made names for themselves by writing original, funny songs. They also both practically single-handedly revitalized SNL's popularity by attracting a younger following.
You would think a movie starring both of them would showcase each of their talents. Unfortunately, in "That's My Boy", Samberg was restricted to a straight man role, while Sandler routinely eats scenery with his atrocious Boston accent that sounds more Louisianan.
The film's premise does not leave much room for laughs as it is. Sandler plays Donny, a native of Somerville, Massachusetts who, when he's 13 years old, has a thing for older women, particularly his teacher, Miss McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino).
When Miss McGarricle takes too much of a liking to the young Donny, they have sex, they get caught, and Miss McGarricle gets pregnant. She bears a son, but gets sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In a contrived, totally unrealistic plot point that only serves as fodder for jokes later on in the film, young Donny is ordered by the court, who apparently had never heard of child care services, to raise his newborn son. Even more unrealistically, Donny becomes a celebrity, sells his life story for six figures, and blows his money away.
The second part of that scenario rubbed me the wrong way already. Do you remember the name of the boy with whom 6th grade teacher Mary Kay Letorneau had sex? I don't. That boy was featured in the New York Times, but not on the cover of Teen Beat!
Anyway, Donny's son Todd (Samberg) grows up to become a successful hedge fund manager, but only after moving away from Donny when he turned 18 (Again, child services anyone?). Donny, on the other hand, spends his money so irresponsibly that he ultimately owes $43,000 in back taxes.
When he finds out about Todd's engagement to beautiful Jamie (Leighton Meester), Donny convinces a TV talk show host to pay him $50,000 for exclusive footage of Donny, Todd, and Todd's biological mother (still in jail) reuniting at last. Such a contrived plot point serves as the reason Donny shows up unannounced to Todd's wedding site days before the wedding.
Rather than the wedding party, consisting of Jamie's family and Todd's boss Steve Spirou (Tony Orlando), being repulsed by Donny's disheveled hair, ratty clothes, vernacular that consists of the f-word spoken every third sentence, and his irritating faux Boston accent, they somehow see his charm. It's surprising, because if a guy who acted like Donny showed up at my wedding, I would call security before he even opened his mouth.
Naturally, because Donny is a boy who never grew up, his shenanigans supposedly ruin Todd's plans for the perfect wedding. The usual cliché plot points happen when Donny and Todd have a falling out the night before the wedding, sentimental music borrowed from "Full House" reruns play during the night scenes, and the climax happens right when the bride and groom are taking their vows.
I should note that there's also a plot twist involving the bride that was so out of left field that it landed in another ball park. Without giving it away, I really wish the film hadn't gone there. That twist made me cringe far more than it made me laugh.
Add those hackneyed wedding movie story lines to Sandler's constantly disseminating his tired onslaught of fat jokes, penis gags, fart noises, antics revolving around elderly people having sex, and homophobic humor, and you've got "That's My Boy". The difference between him doing those jokes in this movie and his last movie, "Jack and Jill" (2011), is that here, when using an irritating voice, he doesn't cross dress.
Don't get me wrong, though. I don't hate Adam Sandler. In fact, "Happy Gilmore" (1996), "The Wedding Singer" (1998), and "The Waterboy" (1998) still make me laugh both because the jokes are fresher and funnier, and because Sandler's character in those movies had heart. Here, he plays a buffoon so obnoxious you want to punch him in the face.
The other jokes not spoken by Sandler, but by other characters, fall flat 9 times out of 10. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan plays Sandler's financial adviser who happens to be a huge New England Patriots fan. Get it? Because he's actually the Jets coach in real life? Hardy har har!
Among the many cameos in this film, the only one that's genuinely funny is Vanilla Ice, who plays himself. He surprisingly does such a good job parodying his image from 20 years ago that Happy Madison Productions should actually give him his own movie.
However, Vanilla Ice's role in the movie reflected the problem of "That's My Boy": when Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg are in a movie together, the funniest person should not be Vanilla Ice! Sandler really needs to reevaluate his on-screen humor and his career. While his movies are making money, he's gradually losing credibility.
To paraphrase an earlier, funnier Sandler movie ("Billy Madison" (1995)), "That's My Boy" is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever seen. At no point in this rambling, incoherent film was Sandler even close to anything that could be considered funny. Everyone in my screening room is now dumber for having seen it. I award this movie 2 out of 10 stars, and may God have mercy on Adam Sandler's soul.
Sandler's made a couple of stinkers lately, but this one rocked!
KilRydLoad28 April 2013
And why did it rock? Because Sandler went back to his simple, old formula...giant man-child refuses to grow up! He never really impresses me all that much when he tries to get serious, but remember Billy Madison? Happy Gilmore? The same giant man-child who refuses to grow up formula works again! To all the people out there bashing this movie, pi-- off. If you're not a fan of toilet humor, then no, you're probably not going to like this movie. But if you're an Adam Sandler fan who loves his earlier stuff, this one is right up there with Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore! Hilarious! And Nick Swardson, of course, is hysterical as always! A perfect ten out of ten for me!
Good for a laugh
dazzyfinky16 June 2012
I love most Adam Sandler movies, and i noticed a lot of reviewers say the same thing, Thats my boy, is a really funny movie (at least to me, my friends and all the other younger people in the audience ranging from about 16-30's) It wasn't a movie i went in hoping for some comedy classic, it's a great movie to watch when you just feel like watching a movie that gives some good laughs (depending on your humor) and slight amused disgust..... the concept of the move was very straightforward with the teacher and student having sex and getting caught...etc then trying to reconnect with his son around 20-30 years later to pay off debt, which most of the audience would guess he would find out about and they'd get in a massive fight but i did not expect the major twist near the end of the movie that had the whole cinema i was in going 'gross' 'wtf' 'LOL' and causing a general sense of amusement.
This is one of those movies where its crazy, stupid and funny....i loved it so did all my friends and the rest of the audience in the cinema with us - so really if you like his movies watch it with an open mind and see for yourself, it really all depends what you find funny...the other reviewers just say its bad don't watch it, but really you should give it a go
This is one of those movies where its crazy, stupid and funny....i loved it so did all my friends and the rest of the audience in the cinema with us - so really if you like his movies watch it with an open mind and see for yourself, it really all depends what you find funny...the other reviewers just say its bad don't watch it, but really you should give it a go
If you thought 'Jack and Jill' was bad, you haven't seen anything yet !
jamuller14 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
For his last movie he broke a record with the Razzies Awards in getting 10 awards in every category such as Worst Movie, Worst Actor, etc. You would think he could not hit more rock bottom. That is unless you've been unfortunate to waste your hard earned money, and more importantly your time, in seeing this movie. Perhaps they will add a new category for this years awards so he can do another sweep and break last years record. I am not even going to comment on the movie itself in this review, as that is just even more time from my life I will not get back. I am going to turn on the TV and watch anything that's on to get my mind off this, even an infomercial on the Shake Weight, as that will still be orders of magnitudes better then this movie.
A comedy that tries WAY too hard
Wizard-818 October 2012
I admit that I am not without a wicked sense of humor. I will also admit that I have found over the years a lot of raunchy gags in R rated movies to be funny. But with "That's My Boy", I found the relentless cascade of raunchy gags to be extremely excessive. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad had the gags been funny. Though I will admit that I found a handful of gags in the movie to be funny, the majority of the attempts at humor seemed to have an air of desperation around them. It was like a pre- teenager struggling to come up with a non-stop bombardment of gags using only a bunch of dirty joke books as reference. Eventually the humor becomes agonizing to sit through, not helped by Sandler giving his character an extremely annoying voice as well as the fact that the movie is stretched out to a much too long length of ALMOST TWO HOURS!
By the way, the disappointing box office gross of this movie (as well as the one for his previous movie "Jack & Jill" suggests that audiences may be tiring of Sandler's shtick. If you ask me, it's about time.
By the way, the disappointing box office gross of this movie (as well as the one for his previous movie "Jack & Jill" suggests that audiences may be tiring of Sandler's shtick. If you ask me, it's about time.
Sandler fans will get a hoot out of this funny but extremely vulgar film; if you can't turn off your personal decency meter, don't see it!
inkblot1113 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Donnie Burger (Adam Sandler) had a huge crush on his math teacher (Eva Amurri) in the 7th grade. Suddenly, at a detention, she turned the tables on the lad, Mary Kay Latourneau style. The two began an indecent fling until they were caught "in the act" backstage at a school assembly. Teach was sent to prison for 30 years but not before she delivered Donnie's child. This son, Han Solo Burger (Andy Samberg) was parented so badly by his juvenile dad that he left the house when he turned 18. Meanwhile, Donnie burned through all of the millions he acquired from interviews and reality shows until he, at present, lives in a dive and drinks too much beer. Unfortunately, he also owes the IRS nearly 50 thou. How can he save himself from prison? Well, a television sleazebag producer says that if Donnie can find his son and head to the prison for a Mother, Father and Child reunion that will be captured on film, he will give Donnie the tax money. By chance, Donnie does find out that his brilliant, hedge fund investment son has changed his name to Todd and is about to marry a Boston blueblood, Jamie (Leighton Meister) in a few days. You guessed it! Donnie shows up at the mansion, claims he is a long lost friend of Todd's and tries to work up the courage to spring the news on his son in private. Naturally, Todd is aghast at this terrible turn of events but he gradually loosens up and permits his dad to hang around, incognito. Will anything good come from this? This is a flick that should make Sandler's fans happy and Samberg's, too. BUT, while it is very funny, it is also the poster child of vulgarity, bad taste, and offensive humor. Those with any serious decency qualms will stay away. The cast is great, with Vanilla Ice, Tony Orlando, and others complimenting the main characters well. Also, the Boston setting is quite lovely, especially the rich haunts, while the script has a "go for broke" comedy that makes one laugh in spite of being subjected to the the lowest forms of humor. That's my take, so see it if you dare.
Forget Jack and Jill!
jordangross15 June 2012
I just want to start off by saying this is no Jack and Jill, which is very, very good news. Finally Adam Sandler is back on track with his comedy, and this time he is raunchier then ever. I knew that this film was going to be a lot better then people expected because the trailer was really funny, and I liked the idea for the story. You can probably already tell how this review is going to go.
The movie star Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison), Andy Samberg (Hot Rod, Saturday Night Live), Leighton Meester (Date Night, Going the Distance), Vanilla Ice (Rapper), James Caan (The Godfather, Las Vegas), Milo Ventimiglia (Rocky Balboa, Heros), Will Forte (Saturday Night Live, MacGruner), and Nick Swardson (Grandma's Boy, Just Go With It).
The story goes that when Donny (Adam Sandler) was in Junior High, he had sex with his teacher and ended up getting her pregnant. Through these actions Donny get publicity and becomes somewhat famous of the whole ordeal. He took care of his son Todd (Andy Samberg) until he becomes 18 and leaves Donny and wants nothing to do with him. A long while later Donny owes $43,000 in unpaid taxes and he can't afford them. In an effort to earn the money he tries to reconnect with his son and actually be a better dad.
I can honestly say that this is definitely one of Adam Sandler's better films. From start to finish I was laughing my ass off and at even some parts I was crying from how hard I was laughing. Even though at some points the voice Adam Sandler was doing in the film was annoying, I easily got over that. The jokes either consisted of really funny and well thought out jokes or just stupid funny jokes. The situations that they got into in this film also really helped out with the hilarity factor. The film had its stupid parts, but they weren't too bad to where you just roll your eyes.
I think that Adam Sandler is still a very funny person and if he continues to make movies like this one, then he will still have a career in making movies. The movie is filled with many cameos that are absolutely hilarious and placed in the film well. If you are looking for a good time and want to laugh your ass off, then "That's My Boy" is what you are looking for.
Rating: 8/10
Thank you for reading my review, any feedback is appreciated.
The movie star Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison), Andy Samberg (Hot Rod, Saturday Night Live), Leighton Meester (Date Night, Going the Distance), Vanilla Ice (Rapper), James Caan (The Godfather, Las Vegas), Milo Ventimiglia (Rocky Balboa, Heros), Will Forte (Saturday Night Live, MacGruner), and Nick Swardson (Grandma's Boy, Just Go With It).
The story goes that when Donny (Adam Sandler) was in Junior High, he had sex with his teacher and ended up getting her pregnant. Through these actions Donny get publicity and becomes somewhat famous of the whole ordeal. He took care of his son Todd (Andy Samberg) until he becomes 18 and leaves Donny and wants nothing to do with him. A long while later Donny owes $43,000 in unpaid taxes and he can't afford them. In an effort to earn the money he tries to reconnect with his son and actually be a better dad.
I can honestly say that this is definitely one of Adam Sandler's better films. From start to finish I was laughing my ass off and at even some parts I was crying from how hard I was laughing. Even though at some points the voice Adam Sandler was doing in the film was annoying, I easily got over that. The jokes either consisted of really funny and well thought out jokes or just stupid funny jokes. The situations that they got into in this film also really helped out with the hilarity factor. The film had its stupid parts, but they weren't too bad to where you just roll your eyes.
I think that Adam Sandler is still a very funny person and if he continues to make movies like this one, then he will still have a career in making movies. The movie is filled with many cameos that are absolutely hilarious and placed in the film well. If you are looking for a good time and want to laugh your ass off, then "That's My Boy" is what you are looking for.
Rating: 8/10
Thank you for reading my review, any feedback is appreciated.
Unwatchable
md-36-79620916 July 2014
No spoilers here, because I had to turn it off after about 25 minutes. That was literally as much waiting to see anything remotely funny or interesting as I could stand. And which makes me sad since I've liked, and even loved, other Adam Sandler films. When given a decent script with true humor and character development, he's displayed enough goofy charm and heart to overcome far-fetched situations, over-the-top, cartoonish, secondary characters, and a propensity for bad accents. This script wasn't even close to decent. The premise was totally unfunny at best, and probably takes the cake for sadness and sickness. Crudity substituted for freshness and humor, and not only were all the secondary characters cartoonish and undeveloped, but so were most of the leads. Sandler's character was totally devoid of charm, and his accent may have been the worst ever. Since his company produced it, he has no one to blame for a pathetic, crude, boring script but himself. And his choice begs the question: what was he thinking?
Adam Sandler's Funniest In A Long Time
cadillac2013 June 2012
Yes, I know, I'm surprised too. Adam Sandler has been delivering one horrible movie after another lately, but That's My Boy is actually pretty damn funny. It hearkens back to the days of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, when Sandler made comedies people liked. Like so many other of his comedies, this won't be for everyone. This is a raunchy, immature, foul mouthed film, and anyone turned off by this kind of comedy will certainly hate this film. But if that's your thing, and I do like my raunchy comedy every now and then, then you'll most likely find this hilarious.
The story is somewhat original for a comedy of this type, and that helps with said comedy. Sandler plays Donny, who, in his teens, has sex with one of his teachers. She gets pregnant, goes to jail, and Donny ends up raising the kid himself. Years later, the kid, now named Todd (Samberg), is a wealthy hedge fun manager about to be married. When Donny needs to get money to pay taxes so he can stay out of jail, he tries to reconnect with Todd and hijinks ensue.
As I said, the film is raunchy and immature. When it isn't making you laugh, it's leaving your jaw on the floor. Not to say that things here are surprising, but some of this stuff is pretty out there. I won't spoil any surprises, but even when you expect something, you might be a little taken by the fact that they did, in fact, go there. Performances are fairly solid. Sandler is in top comedic form here as he once again proves he's mastered the Man-Child form of comedy. And, as you would suspect, he's really a decent guy here with his heart in the right place. He has a buffoon's charm, and it plays well off the other characters. Samberg leaves a bit more to be desired. Also usually a goofy guy, here he plays it mostly straight, if awkward. While the two comedians work well with each other, Sandler steals most of the show, instead of sharing the spotlight with Samberg. However, the chemistry is there, and they play a fairly convincing father-son duo.
Of course, the film isn't the perfect comedy, and in an age where slapstick and raunchy comedy have taken a slightly different form, this feels a bit like an antique. That isn't to say it isn't funny, it is, but the film somehow seems more like an exception. There's also nothing terribly surprising here. The film is fairly predictable. Even Sandler's character has nothing new to offer. He's a likable guy, but we've seen him before in so many other Sandler roles. The film also takes massive leaps in reality. I rolled my eyes numerous times on several plot points. While the plot is certainly more original than you'd expect, it takes liberties with it's reality and they seem like nothing more than setups for jokes. Luckily the jokes are funny.
This certainly isn't the best Sandler comedy, and it's far from the worst. Most of all, it's surprisingly funny and I had a good time with it. If you're looking for a good comedy to go see and enjoy the raunch and immaturity of Adam Sandler comedies, I think you will find this quite entertaining.
The story is somewhat original for a comedy of this type, and that helps with said comedy. Sandler plays Donny, who, in his teens, has sex with one of his teachers. She gets pregnant, goes to jail, and Donny ends up raising the kid himself. Years later, the kid, now named Todd (Samberg), is a wealthy hedge fun manager about to be married. When Donny needs to get money to pay taxes so he can stay out of jail, he tries to reconnect with Todd and hijinks ensue.
As I said, the film is raunchy and immature. When it isn't making you laugh, it's leaving your jaw on the floor. Not to say that things here are surprising, but some of this stuff is pretty out there. I won't spoil any surprises, but even when you expect something, you might be a little taken by the fact that they did, in fact, go there. Performances are fairly solid. Sandler is in top comedic form here as he once again proves he's mastered the Man-Child form of comedy. And, as you would suspect, he's really a decent guy here with his heart in the right place. He has a buffoon's charm, and it plays well off the other characters. Samberg leaves a bit more to be desired. Also usually a goofy guy, here he plays it mostly straight, if awkward. While the two comedians work well with each other, Sandler steals most of the show, instead of sharing the spotlight with Samberg. However, the chemistry is there, and they play a fairly convincing father-son duo.
Of course, the film isn't the perfect comedy, and in an age where slapstick and raunchy comedy have taken a slightly different form, this feels a bit like an antique. That isn't to say it isn't funny, it is, but the film somehow seems more like an exception. There's also nothing terribly surprising here. The film is fairly predictable. Even Sandler's character has nothing new to offer. He's a likable guy, but we've seen him before in so many other Sandler roles. The film also takes massive leaps in reality. I rolled my eyes numerous times on several plot points. While the plot is certainly more original than you'd expect, it takes liberties with it's reality and they seem like nothing more than setups for jokes. Luckily the jokes are funny.
This certainly isn't the best Sandler comedy, and it's far from the worst. Most of all, it's surprisingly funny and I had a good time with it. If you're looking for a good comedy to go see and enjoy the raunch and immaturity of Adam Sandler comedies, I think you will find this quite entertaining.
A loathsome, painfully unfunny affront to comedy
StevePulaski16 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
That's My Boy is content with being a belligerent vulgarian comedy that it is willing to concoct any setup, any one-liner, or any character as long as it's on par with its irredeemable crude standard. It's first fatal flaw is that it erects so many raunchy situations that it completely undermines the characters that are involved in them, which is the whole reason we laugh. We laugh not at the situations themselves, but how these characters react to them. But this is only the icing on the cake of disgust.
Such topics covered in the film are teacher-student molestation, strippers, poor parenting, child abuse, browbeating the less fortunate, incest, and many more. Only Sandler would take such heartless and degrading topics and throw them all into a film where no wit, soul, or morals can be found. They are employed with such carelessness and such a disregard for humanity that it becomes utterly revolting. The only laughs to be found come from, not a main character, but one that shows up at the end of the film (something you should expect from a Happy Madison picture). He is Abdoulaye N'gom, who was also in the Sandler produced Grandma's Boy. How come somebody didn't think to put him as one of the side characters? The story can be summed up in fragmented words such as lazy, overwritten, camaraderie, inconsiderate, offensive, demeaning, and mean-spirited, but let's focus on the plot itself. It starts out on the ever-so bright note of teacher-student molestation, where young nitwit teenager Donny Berger is happily seduced by his teacher, Miss Mary McGarricle in a closet. It results in an unexpected pregnancy, where Miss McGarricle goes to prison, and their baby is left with the teenage Donny, who can barely take care of himself, let alone another child.
Donny names the kid "Han Solo Berger," and at eighteen, the kid becomes estranged from his parents, telling people they died in an explosion, changes his name to "Todd Peterson," and begins a new life. Donny (Sandler) went on to live off a six figure deal to sell his story to a Television show, and carelessly blew all the money, forgetting that he needed to pay taxes on the earnings. Donny now owes the IRS $43,000, and winds up striking a $50,000 deal with a filthy reality show executive to get him, Todd, and his mother (currently in prison) to do a reunion event on camera. It's scummy and outlandishly selfish.
Todd is Andy Samberg, who is stunned to see Donny show up uninvited and quickly tells his wife's family that he is a close friend of his, and this leads to some contrived shouting matches between the two as to how Donny was the worst parent ever. This is true. It's a too little, too late effort, but Donny decides it's time to make nice with Todd, so he stays at their house during the wedding to reconnect with his son, while trying to conceal the fact that he's only there for money.
This is yet another Sandler film I like to dub an "anti-character" study. First off, there is hardly a likable character in the film, except for Todd, who is just a poor man's version of a neurotic success story. The character Donny comes equipped with Sandler's most horrendous accent since his character in The Waterboy, and this could very well be Sandler's worst film in years (I have not seen Jack and Jill). It aims to go for the baddest of laughs, but due to the lack of discipline, plausibility in the writing (why isn't the baby given to child services?), and the removal of heart in its material, it's a middle finger to morals and an ode to chaotic, mean-spirited circumstances.
That's My Boy inhabits a world of such cruelty to almost everyone involved. The males are incompetent caricatures, motivated by ego and greed, the women are no better than the size of their breasts and buttocks, shown in a misogynistic light almost saying that women exist to either show off parts of their body or to be ditzy, foul-mouthed bimbos, and every middle-age side character is shown as an amoral horn-dog, both men and women alike. Remember Big Daddy? One of the few Adam Sandler films sort of slanted and aimed more for children? It involved a louse who is stuck raising an illegitimate kid for his best friend. You could sort of label That's My Boy the raunchy sequel to Big Daddy, an explain it extracted the heart and sentiment out of it. But saying that would give the film more purpose than it's entitled to. It's a loathsome, painfully unfunny affront to comedy.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, Susan Sarandon, Will Forte, Nick Swardson, Peter Dante, and Abdoulaye N'gom. Directed by: Sean Anders.
Such topics covered in the film are teacher-student molestation, strippers, poor parenting, child abuse, browbeating the less fortunate, incest, and many more. Only Sandler would take such heartless and degrading topics and throw them all into a film where no wit, soul, or morals can be found. They are employed with such carelessness and such a disregard for humanity that it becomes utterly revolting. The only laughs to be found come from, not a main character, but one that shows up at the end of the film (something you should expect from a Happy Madison picture). He is Abdoulaye N'gom, who was also in the Sandler produced Grandma's Boy. How come somebody didn't think to put him as one of the side characters? The story can be summed up in fragmented words such as lazy, overwritten, camaraderie, inconsiderate, offensive, demeaning, and mean-spirited, but let's focus on the plot itself. It starts out on the ever-so bright note of teacher-student molestation, where young nitwit teenager Donny Berger is happily seduced by his teacher, Miss Mary McGarricle in a closet. It results in an unexpected pregnancy, where Miss McGarricle goes to prison, and their baby is left with the teenage Donny, who can barely take care of himself, let alone another child.
Donny names the kid "Han Solo Berger," and at eighteen, the kid becomes estranged from his parents, telling people they died in an explosion, changes his name to "Todd Peterson," and begins a new life. Donny (Sandler) went on to live off a six figure deal to sell his story to a Television show, and carelessly blew all the money, forgetting that he needed to pay taxes on the earnings. Donny now owes the IRS $43,000, and winds up striking a $50,000 deal with a filthy reality show executive to get him, Todd, and his mother (currently in prison) to do a reunion event on camera. It's scummy and outlandishly selfish.
Todd is Andy Samberg, who is stunned to see Donny show up uninvited and quickly tells his wife's family that he is a close friend of his, and this leads to some contrived shouting matches between the two as to how Donny was the worst parent ever. This is true. It's a too little, too late effort, but Donny decides it's time to make nice with Todd, so he stays at their house during the wedding to reconnect with his son, while trying to conceal the fact that he's only there for money.
This is yet another Sandler film I like to dub an "anti-character" study. First off, there is hardly a likable character in the film, except for Todd, who is just a poor man's version of a neurotic success story. The character Donny comes equipped with Sandler's most horrendous accent since his character in The Waterboy, and this could very well be Sandler's worst film in years (I have not seen Jack and Jill). It aims to go for the baddest of laughs, but due to the lack of discipline, plausibility in the writing (why isn't the baby given to child services?), and the removal of heart in its material, it's a middle finger to morals and an ode to chaotic, mean-spirited circumstances.
That's My Boy inhabits a world of such cruelty to almost everyone involved. The males are incompetent caricatures, motivated by ego and greed, the women are no better than the size of their breasts and buttocks, shown in a misogynistic light almost saying that women exist to either show off parts of their body or to be ditzy, foul-mouthed bimbos, and every middle-age side character is shown as an amoral horn-dog, both men and women alike. Remember Big Daddy? One of the few Adam Sandler films sort of slanted and aimed more for children? It involved a louse who is stuck raising an illegitimate kid for his best friend. You could sort of label That's My Boy the raunchy sequel to Big Daddy, an explain it extracted the heart and sentiment out of it. But saying that would give the film more purpose than it's entitled to. It's a loathsome, painfully unfunny affront to comedy.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Leighton Meester, Susan Sarandon, Will Forte, Nick Swardson, Peter Dante, and Abdoulaye N'gom. Directed by: Sean Anders.
Just For Laughs & Kicks
jhoop8126 June 2012
This movie is a true comedy! From the plot, to the characters (and by the way they all did a great job) to the ending, just laughs after laughs. Me and my best friend (a female by the way) were laughing out loud along with others in the theater. And not only was this funny but it was interesting as well, I mean it actually had a story that made you want to see how it was going to turn out.I was hoping this movie would take our minds off of our day at work, and boy did it not disappoint! This comedy is not at all for your kids or the weak at heart when it comes to profanity and nudity but if you can take that with ease you will be laughing out loud. Don't come expecting some great drama with laughs here, just come to enjoy a very funny movie and you won't be disappointed. Its 2 hours of time well spent, In fact I didn't even realize it lasted 2 hours until we left the theater. I really don't know why the critics was so harsh when it came to this film. I mean I tried to be critical (for like 5 minutes of the beginning) but then I started laughing and forgot I was trying to be critical. All in all this is a comedy first, and interesting enough story to keep your attention and entertain you for 2 hours.
Maybe we're missing something here...
tpaladino16 June 2012
After seeing this horrible film (on a dare), I was confused. How could Adam Sandler take such an absolute nosedive in his career so quickly and completely? I mean, he's demonstrated that he has some talent and knows how to make a funny movie (Wedding Singer, Zohan, etc.), and even his mediocre movies (all the others) aren't really truly awful... until Jack and Jill and now this. He does seem to be actively campaigning for his very own Razzie category at this point.
Then I had a revelation. Maybe this is all part of some elaborate real-time performance art piece, á la Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here, in which Sandler deliberately tanks his career in the most public and humiliating way possible. Then after finally hitting rock bottom, he'll go on Letterman and proclaim the last five years a hoax and release an indie documentary about the nature of fame, Hollywood, and the human experience, finally going on to win a prize at Sundance.
At least that's what I hope, because if that isn't in fact what is happening here, the other option is almost too sad and depressing to think about. So fingers crossed for the whole hoax/indie documentary thing.
Then I had a revelation. Maybe this is all part of some elaborate real-time performance art piece, á la Joaquin Phoenix in I'm Still Here, in which Sandler deliberately tanks his career in the most public and humiliating way possible. Then after finally hitting rock bottom, he'll go on Letterman and proclaim the last five years a hoax and release an indie documentary about the nature of fame, Hollywood, and the human experience, finally going on to win a prize at Sundance.
At least that's what I hope, because if that isn't in fact what is happening here, the other option is almost too sad and depressing to think about. So fingers crossed for the whole hoax/indie documentary thing.
It wasn't that bad, I thought it was hilarious!
karljohnson799116 July 2012
I do not see why there are so many people who hate on this movie, It is what it is, Its a comedy movie. In my opinion Sandler is going back to his comedic roots... I mean you cant tell me when he was on SNL and in some of his earlier movies he didn't act stupid, Maybe some of you reviewers are just getting old and don't know comedy anymore when you see it. See people need to stop critiquing a comedy like this based as though it was a movie in another genre. But thats just my opinion, If your looking for something funny I recommend seeing this. But you might need to be a specific age group, 12-36, I guess Sandler is tired of trying to make all you "old fools" laugh. Also Andy Samberg was great along with Will Forte and Nick Swardson, even though he only had like 4 lines.
Comedy not for everyone
Floated221 December 2012
That's My Boy seems Sandler who plays Donny Berger, who gained notoriety as a 13-year-old in the mid-1980s for having a wildly inappropriate sexual relationship with his math teacher (Eva Amurri Martino). When their relationship is revealed, the pregnant and unapologetic teacher goes to prison and young Donny gets custody of their child, spending more time selling the rights to his life story and hobnobbing with other young celebrities than being a responsible father.
Fast-forward 30 years, and Donny owes a lot of money to the IRS, which, if he doesn't pay it back, will land him in prison. He asks an old talk-show host buddy for help, and he agrees to throw him a line, but only if Donny can orchestrate a jailhouse reunion between him, the teacher and their estranged, now-grown son.
That last one is a problem, because their son, Todd (Samberg), a successful hedge-fund manager, has long claimed his parents are dead. And he isn't about to let his fiancée (Leighton Meester) and soon-to-be in-laws find out the truth. == As a rewatch 08/23/18' and 6+ years from the initial watch back in 2012 That's My Boy has a better feel and more laughs come from the film. In fact, the film seemed to have been overlooked considering it's box office flop.
Now, the film is clearly not for everyone given the mature subject matter and the nature of the plot. Many reviews and critics have panned the film for reasons in which the film was intended to be. It is supposed to be cruel, vulgar and quite silly, and in the end if not taken too serious, That's My Boy is quite a fun and entertaining ride. Rating changed from 3 to 7.
Fast-forward 30 years, and Donny owes a lot of money to the IRS, which, if he doesn't pay it back, will land him in prison. He asks an old talk-show host buddy for help, and he agrees to throw him a line, but only if Donny can orchestrate a jailhouse reunion between him, the teacher and their estranged, now-grown son.
That last one is a problem, because their son, Todd (Samberg), a successful hedge-fund manager, has long claimed his parents are dead. And he isn't about to let his fiancée (Leighton Meester) and soon-to-be in-laws find out the truth. == As a rewatch 08/23/18' and 6+ years from the initial watch back in 2012 That's My Boy has a better feel and more laughs come from the film. In fact, the film seemed to have been overlooked considering it's box office flop.
Now, the film is clearly not for everyone given the mature subject matter and the nature of the plot. Many reviews and critics have panned the film for reasons in which the film was intended to be. It is supposed to be cruel, vulgar and quite silly, and in the end if not taken too serious, That's My Boy is quite a fun and entertaining ride. Rating changed from 3 to 7.
How Do We Make Statutory Rape Funny?
Chris_Pandolfi15 June 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Why do I go into Adam Sandler movies with the hope that each new offering will be the one that redeems him as an actor, a writer, and a producer? You'd think I was a masochist or delusional or both; although I've willingly subjected myself some truly abominable projects of his in the past two years alone, including "The House Bunny," "Grown Ups," "Just Go With It," "Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star," "Zookeeper," and "Jack and Jill," I've also seen him expand his horizons towards more mature, more compelling endeavors like "Punch Drunk Love," "Reign Over Me," and "Funny People." Hell, he even won me over with "You Don't Mess with the Zohan," which certainly is of the same raunchy, tasteless caliber as most of his other films. He has surprised me before, and I live in hope that he will surprise me again.
I had to keep telling myself that as I sat through his newest film, "That's My Boy," in which Sandler doubles as the star and the producer. For him, and for everyone involved, this is a pathetic new low, representative of nothing apart from a desperate plea for attention. With its bizarre blending of disgusting toilet humor and heartfelt moments of drama, it exemplifies a complete lack of understanding on the filmmakers' part about who the movie was intended for. When you include a scene in which an obese stripper eats an omelet while using her legs to hang upside down from a pole, there is no conceivable way to believably work in a sentimental father/son bonding story. There is only one kind of audience this movie is made for, and I'm fairly certain it will respond more to the stripper than to any depiction of family drama.
The story begins in 1984, when a boy barely in his teens has sex with his hot female teacher, who quite willingly came onto him. They're eventually caught having sex in the school assembly room while, wouldn't you know it, a full assembly is in progress. The intent is obvious: To make light of recent news stories about female teachers seducing their male students. But hold on a minute. Imagine if the foundation of the plot had been an adult male teacher seducing his female student. Would we consider that funny? Of course not. We would rightfully think of the girl as a victim. So then why is it funny when the gender roles are reversed? Why is the boy a stud instead of a victim? In either case, this is statutory rape we're talking about, and the last time I checked, this was not suitable material for a comedy. What we have here is not only a glaring double standard but also a warped sense of humor. The filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves.
The affair resulted in the teacher's pregnancy, which in turn resulted in a thirty-year prison sentence for her. As for the teen, he was required to become a single parent to his child, a son he named Han Solo, until his eighteenth birthday. Initially, it turned out pretty good for him; he won the respect of his classmates, he became a teenage celebrity, and a TV movie based on his life was produced. But then we flash forward to the present day, at which point we find that the teen has grown into a slovenly, foulmouthed, beer-chugging slacker. His name is Donny Berger (Sandler), and if he wants to avoid a three-year prison sentence, he must pay the IRS $43,000 in back taxes. He strikes a deal with a sleazy talk show host: If he can film Han Solo reuniting with his mother (Susan Sarandon) in prison, he will pay Donny $50,000.
There's only one problem. Donny's now adult son (Andy Samberg), who has legally changed his name to Todd Peterson, hasn't spoken to his father in years and has made every effort to hide his past. Now a hopelessly neurotic diabetic, he has become a successful businessman and is engaged to woman named Christina (Leighton Meester). Donny tracks Todd down through a candid publicity photo, reenters his life the weekend before his wedding, and poses as Todd's oldest best friend. Even though he has the social skills of a drunk on a bender, Donny is inexplicably able to win over all of Christina's family. This would include her rather elderly grandmother (Peggy Stewart); not only does Donny masturbate to side-by-side photos of her as a young woman and as she appears today, he will also have sex with her. Yes, she initiates it. And yes, he willingly accepts her advances.
As the plot lumbers ahead, we see James Caan as a priest with a thick Irish brogue and a rotten temper, bear witness to a disgusting and completely unnecessary plot twist involving Christina and her testosterone-pumped military brother (Milo Ventimiglia), and endure a few visual jokes involving vomit and semen. We also watch as Vanilla Ice plays a parody of himself as Donny's best friend, made all the more unbearable by the fact that he's actually a pretty decent actor. All the while, we're expected not to laugh at the phony drama of Donny and Todd working towards repairing their relationship. The people behind "That's My Boy" make countless mistakes, but the biggest was to believe that this subplot could in any way, shape, or form be taken seriously. I take that back. The biggest mistake was making the film in the first place.
-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)
I had to keep telling myself that as I sat through his newest film, "That's My Boy," in which Sandler doubles as the star and the producer. For him, and for everyone involved, this is a pathetic new low, representative of nothing apart from a desperate plea for attention. With its bizarre blending of disgusting toilet humor and heartfelt moments of drama, it exemplifies a complete lack of understanding on the filmmakers' part about who the movie was intended for. When you include a scene in which an obese stripper eats an omelet while using her legs to hang upside down from a pole, there is no conceivable way to believably work in a sentimental father/son bonding story. There is only one kind of audience this movie is made for, and I'm fairly certain it will respond more to the stripper than to any depiction of family drama.
The story begins in 1984, when a boy barely in his teens has sex with his hot female teacher, who quite willingly came onto him. They're eventually caught having sex in the school assembly room while, wouldn't you know it, a full assembly is in progress. The intent is obvious: To make light of recent news stories about female teachers seducing their male students. But hold on a minute. Imagine if the foundation of the plot had been an adult male teacher seducing his female student. Would we consider that funny? Of course not. We would rightfully think of the girl as a victim. So then why is it funny when the gender roles are reversed? Why is the boy a stud instead of a victim? In either case, this is statutory rape we're talking about, and the last time I checked, this was not suitable material for a comedy. What we have here is not only a glaring double standard but also a warped sense of humor. The filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves.
The affair resulted in the teacher's pregnancy, which in turn resulted in a thirty-year prison sentence for her. As for the teen, he was required to become a single parent to his child, a son he named Han Solo, until his eighteenth birthday. Initially, it turned out pretty good for him; he won the respect of his classmates, he became a teenage celebrity, and a TV movie based on his life was produced. But then we flash forward to the present day, at which point we find that the teen has grown into a slovenly, foulmouthed, beer-chugging slacker. His name is Donny Berger (Sandler), and if he wants to avoid a three-year prison sentence, he must pay the IRS $43,000 in back taxes. He strikes a deal with a sleazy talk show host: If he can film Han Solo reuniting with his mother (Susan Sarandon) in prison, he will pay Donny $50,000.
There's only one problem. Donny's now adult son (Andy Samberg), who has legally changed his name to Todd Peterson, hasn't spoken to his father in years and has made every effort to hide his past. Now a hopelessly neurotic diabetic, he has become a successful businessman and is engaged to woman named Christina (Leighton Meester). Donny tracks Todd down through a candid publicity photo, reenters his life the weekend before his wedding, and poses as Todd's oldest best friend. Even though he has the social skills of a drunk on a bender, Donny is inexplicably able to win over all of Christina's family. This would include her rather elderly grandmother (Peggy Stewart); not only does Donny masturbate to side-by-side photos of her as a young woman and as she appears today, he will also have sex with her. Yes, she initiates it. And yes, he willingly accepts her advances.
As the plot lumbers ahead, we see James Caan as a priest with a thick Irish brogue and a rotten temper, bear witness to a disgusting and completely unnecessary plot twist involving Christina and her testosterone-pumped military brother (Milo Ventimiglia), and endure a few visual jokes involving vomit and semen. We also watch as Vanilla Ice plays a parody of himself as Donny's best friend, made all the more unbearable by the fact that he's actually a pretty decent actor. All the while, we're expected not to laugh at the phony drama of Donny and Todd working towards repairing their relationship. The people behind "That's My Boy" make countless mistakes, but the biggest was to believe that this subplot could in any way, shape, or form be taken seriously. I take that back. The biggest mistake was making the film in the first place.
-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)
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