Adam Sandler tightens his embrace of broad family hijinks with this story about a set of adult twins (Sandler plays both brother and sister, yeah!) who bicker, bicker, bond, bicker some more and then bond one last time during their annual holiday gathering. The movie kicks off (and ends) with real-life twins engaged in a bit of filmed back and forth about their relationships. The off-the-cuff banter and some of the contrasting visual juxtapositions contain the real gems lacking in what gets sandwiched in between.
The jokes — and I must use that term so loosely that I’m not sure what I mean, since I barely cracked a smile at any of the scripted appeals to laughter — targeted the crude, the rude and the broadly lewd, which was surprising, given the PG rating. It was sad to watch this low-rent sketch comedy traffic in base stereotypes that even its younger audience members will recognize as tasteless gags.
One can only hope that the kids might call Sandler and director Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups, Big Daddy) out for their cheap insensitivity. It is time for Sandler and the audience to acknowledge that his clown prince crown has shattered into a million little pieces and its time to grow up, if he ever intends to be funny again. Grade: F
Opens Nov. 11. Check out theaters and show times, see the trailer and get theater details here.
