Sleight of Film

“I’m going to be a Master of Disguise!” —Pistachio

Today’s quick review: The Master of Disguise. Pistachio Disguisey (Dana Carvey), the dim-witted heir to a family of disguise artists, learns about his legacy when his parents (James Brolin and Edie McClurg) are kidnapped by Devlin Bowman (Brent Spiner), an international art thief. To save them, Pistachio must learn the art of disguise from his grandfather (Harold Gould) and go undercover with his assistant Jennifer (Jennifer Esposito).

The Master of Disguise is a family comedy starring Dana Carvey. As a member of the Disguisey family, Pistachio has the ability to disguise himself as anyone or anything. This basic premise kicks off a flurry of costumes and impressions as Pistachio tries every disguise he can think of to get close to Devlin. The Master of Disguise has some fun moments, especially for younger audiences, but it trips over some of its own ideas.

The main point in The Master of Disguise’s favor is how ridiculous it can be. Between Pistachio’s personality and his endless disguises, the movie has free rein to get just as silly as it wants to. The upshots of this include some quotable scenes, a lively performance from Dana Carvey, and jokes that would be hard to make in any other context.

But this ridiculousness is a double-edged sword. The humor is juvenile even for a family film, and enough of it boils down to funny voices that anyone who dislikes Dana Carvey’s impressions will the entire movie irritating. The Master of Disguise also has a habit of running with weak gags, dragging down the hit rate for its humor. Finally, the movie has a token plot, one-dimensional characters, and very little in the way of heart.

The Master of Disguise will hold some appeal for younger audiences who will not pick up on its deficiencies, but it is missing a lot of the background scaffolding that helps family films appeal to older viewers. The Master of Disguise has an interesting premise but takes it in a bizarre direction. Most viewers will find it off-putting at best, and only the curious, the nostalgic, or the very young should give it a shot.

For a better use of Dana Carvey, try Wayne’s World. For a family adventure that channels similar creativity in more productive directions, try Spy Kids. For an adult crime comedy that captures some of the same spirit, check out Hudson Hawk.

[3.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0295427/). I give it a 5.0 for misuse of a promising gimmick.

Today’s quick review: The Love Guru. When Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco), the star of the Toronto Maple Leafs, loses his wife Prudence (Meagan Good) to rival hockey player Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake), he also loses his ability to play. Desperate for a win, Jane Bullard (Jessica Alba), the owner of the Leafs, calls in Guru Pitka (Mike Myers), a popular self-help guru, to repair Darren’s marriage in time for him to play in the Stanley Cup finals.

The Love Guru is a comedy starring Mike Myers. Born in America but raised in India, Guru Pitka has ascended to become the second most popular guru in the world. Through motivational platitudes and unconventional therapy, Pitka sets out to fix Darren’s marriage and get his head back in the game. The Love Guru aims for the same comedic ideal as Myers’ other work. However, it is hamstrung by disconnected jokes and a weak main character.

The Love Guru’s main problem is that it has no foundation to build on. Guru Pitka is the selling point of the movie, but his character is shallow both personally and comedically. Where Myers’ character of Austin Powers was a wellspring of jokes about the spy genre, England, and the 1960s and still had his own personality, the only thing Pitka brings to the table is a handful of self-help jokes that quickly wear out their welcome.

The consequence is that The Love Guru has no one to tie its jokes together. There are a handful of running gags that are specific to Pitka, but these are some of the weakest in the movie. Everything else is generic Mike Myers humor that happens to be delivered by Pitka, with no real connection to the character or the rest of the movie. Because the jokes are dropped in carelessly, they never build up the momentum the movie badly needs.

The Love Guru fares slightly better with its story. The premise of a specialist patching up a hockey player’s marriage is adequate, and even Pitka’s modest character arc works well enough on paper, a simple story about a vain man learning to put others first. But in practice, the story is let down by weak acting and a lack of effort. None of the cast excel in their roles, and none of the pivotal moments in the story are given their due.

The Love Guru makes many mistakes and has few redeeming qualities. Some viewers will get something out of its crass humor, but the majority will find it either too crude or too ineffectual to enjoy. Most people should steer clear.

For a Mike Myers comedy with similar flaws, try The Cat in the Hat. For one with a much stronger premise, try Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. For a more conventional romantic comedy about a love doctor, try Hitch. For a comedy about an eccentric doctor’s unconventional treatment of a man’s supposed anger issues, try Anger Management.

[3.8 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811138/). I give it a 5.0 for a mediocre premise let down by weak humor.

“So let’s go.” —Zohan

Today’s quick review: You Don’t Mess with the Zohan. Tired of his life as an Israeli supersoldier, Zohan (Adam Sandler) fakes his death in a battle against his nemesis, the Phantom (John Turturro), and travels to America to pursue his dream of being a hair stylist. But when breaking into the business proves harder than expected, Zohan takes a menial job at a struggling hair salon run by Dalia (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a Palestinian immigrant.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan is a comedy about an Israeli counterterrorist of extraordinary talents trying to make it as a hair stylist in America. The movie gambles on several risky forms of humor, including an over-the-top protagonist, rampant off-color sexual content, and playful jabs at Middle Eastern culture. You Don’t Mess with the Zohan has plenty of energy and creativity, but many viewers will find it either distasteful or immature.

You Don’t Mess with the Zohan has very inconsistent humor. The movie is at its best when it is flexing its creative muscles, either by setting up new feats of slapstick for Zohan to pull off or painting a comically exaggerated portrait of Israeli. It fills the rest of its time with Zohan’s dream of becoming a stylist, sex jokes that skew more ridiculous than titillating, and a flimsy plot about a real estate developer trying to take Dalia’s store.

The upshot of this is that, when the humor hits the mark, it hits it hard. The cultural exaggerations are truly absurd, the slapstick has a knack for catching the audience off-guard, and even some of the weaker jokes earn laughter through repetition. More broadly, the movie feels like it is having fun pushing the boundaries.

However, for every joke that hits the mark, there are several that sail wide of it. How much you enjoy the movie will come down to whether or not you mind the jokes that miss. For the right viewer, the failed jokes will be neutral at worst, a brief distraction before the movie takes another shot. For the wrong viewer, the failed jokes will be a constant source of irritation, drowning out the successes in a sea of juvenile humor.

As such, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan is a very hit-or-miss movie. Those who have a taste for absurd humor and don’t mind risking a few missteps should give it a shot. Those who prefer more grounded humor or dislike explicit content should stay well away.

For an even more over-the-top satire of Middle Eastern politics, check out Team America: World Police. For a martial arts comedy with a similar sense of humor and some of the same jokes, check out Kung Pow: Enter the Fist.

[5.5 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0960144/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for uneven but occasionally hilarious humor; your score will vary wildly.

Today’s quick review: Sandy Wexler. Sandy Wexler (Adam Sandler), a passionate but inept Hollywood manager, lands the client of a lifetime when he discovers Courtney Clarke (Jennifer Hudson), a singer with the talent to top the charts. Under Sandy’s questionable guidance, Courtney lands a record deal that makes her a star. But as Courtney reaches the peak of her success, the pressures of the music business drive a wedge between her and Sandy.

Sandy Wexler is a romantic comedy about the relationship between a manager and his top client. Sandy sees the talent in Courtney and stands by her when no one else will, while Courtney looks past Sandy’s scruffy exterior to see the compassion that drives him. The movie splits the difference between an irreverent comedy about making it in show business and a heartfelt story of friendship and persistence, with mixed results.

Sandy Wexler takes a different tack than Adam Sandler’s other work. The oddball, self-sacrificing main character and general sense of humor are familiar, but the jokes themselves are sparser and more subdued. The movie gets its humor from Sandy’s personality, his eccentric clients, and jokes about Hollywood in the 90s. But the movie also takes the time to establish Sandy as a person, and it takes his relationship with Courtney seriously.

The result of this approach is a movie with less immediate appeal than Sandler’s more spirited comedies, but one with deeper rewards for those willing to wait for them. The movie does a good job of showing Sandy’s affection for his clients and how that grows into something more with Courtney. The jokes are not as overly ridiculous as in Sandler’s other work, but they are still entertaining enough to earn some modest laughs.

There are some downsides that keep Sandy Wexler from standing with the better films in the genre. As a character, Sandy is only a partial hit. His obnoxious mannerisms are a steep barrier to overcome, and if he wins over the audience at all, it is only because of the tireless way he supports his clients. The movie also drags in the middle, retreading the same ground until Courtney is ready to enter the next phase of her career.

Sandy Wexler will not be a good choice for everyone. The movie requires connecting with a character who has a lot going against him, and its humor has a hard time making the jump from amusing to hilarious. But those willing to buy into the movie will eventually find what they are looking for: a story about a perennial loser coming through for the woman he cares for. Give it a shot if you feel like a gamble. Skip it if you want surefire comedy.

For a crime comedy about a man who helps a talented singer break into the industry, check out Be Cool. For a much more dramatic Adam Sandler movie about a man with similar mannerisms and character flaws, try Uncut Gems. For an Adam Sandler comedy with a protagonist cut from the same cloth and a more exaggerated sense of humor, try Hubie Halloween.

[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5893332/). I give it a 6.5 for a hit-or-miss protagonist, modest humor, and a fair amount of heart.

Today’s quick review: The Week Of. Kenny Lustig (Adam Sandler), a family man from Long Island, has his hands full getting ready for his daughter Sarah’s (Allison Strong) wedding. As the wedding guests arrive in town, Kenny scrambles to keep his budget wedding venue from falling apart. But Kenny’s pride keeps him from letting Kirby Cortice (Chris Rock), the father of the groom and a wealthy heart surgeon, from paying for a better one.

The Week Of is a comedy starring Adam Sandler and Chris Rock. The duo play a pair of father-in-laws trying to prepare the best wedding possible for their children. Over the course of a week, nearly everything goes wrong for them, from leaky ceilings to unstable family members, culminating in a wedding neither one of them expected. The Week Of has a fine premise but has a hard time making it work, with most of its efforts falling somewhat flat.

The Week Of’s main failing is that it gets mired in family-driven comedy that rarely hits the mark. Nearly all of the humor comes from the extended families of the bride and groom. In principle, this should work out, but the families get stuck awkwardly between cartoonish and ordinary. A handful of colorful characters push the movie towards full-blown comedy, but too many of the family are normal people for the jokes to feel natural.

The Week Of’s other failing is that it skimps on heart. Nominally, the movie is about two men having to say goodbye to their grown children. But the movie spends very little time developing this, instead focusing on Kenny’s venue woes and the antics of the extended family. The consequence of this is that Kenny and Sarah barely get any time together onscreen, while Kirby’s time with his son is basically nonexistent.

All of this makes The Week Of a step down from other movies with similar premises. Instead of being an all-out comedic romp, The Week Of gets stuck on family foibles that are a little too real to be entertaining. Instead of building to the tender moment of a father giving away his daughter, The Week Of tacks it on at the end. The result is a movie that goes through the motions, but not well enough to stand out. Approach with caution.

For a more heartfelt movie about the lead-up to a wedding, try either version of Father of the Bride. For a more upbeat comedy about weddings, try Wedding Crashers. For a more playful, adventurous comedy about the father of the bride meeting the father of the groom, try original version of The In-Laws. For an Adam Sandler comedy that handles a quirky family with more tact, try Grown Ups.

[5.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6821012/). I give it a 6.0 for decent comedy that comes in the wrong proportions.

Today’s quick review: The Do-Over. Charlie McMillan (David Spade), a bank manager with a miserable life, gets a second chance when Max Kessler (Adam Sandler), his best friend from high school, fakes their deaths and takes them to Puerto Rico using the identities of two dead men. But what begins as a tropical vacation turns dangerous when unknown killers come after Charlie and Max, believing they are the men whose identities they stole.

The Do-Over is an action comedy starring David Spade and Adam Sandler. Two best friends out to make a fresh start end up in over their heads when they are mistaken for two dead men with dangerous enemies. The Do-Over offers a peculiar blend of raunchy humor and action as Charlie and Max try to figure out why someone actually wants them dead. Good leads and a decent plot give the movie some legs, but a few quirks limit its appeal.

The Do-Over’s story covers a lot of ground. The early part of the movie is purely personal as Charlie reexamines his life and Max shows him a reckless way to get what he wants out of it. But the movie takes a sharp turn once the shooting starts, shifting from a playful story about seizing the day to a basic but effective action thriller. The jokes never stop, but they do have to share the limelight as the plot comes to the fore.

The catch is that The Do-Over goes too far with its raunchy humor. The plot of the movie has broad appeal, and Spade and Sandler have the effortless chemistry needed to pull it off. But the movie has a habit of tossing in crude sex jokes where none are needed, a habit that only gets worse as the movie goes on. For some viewers this will be a plus, but the degree and manner of raunchy comedy will turn off more than a few viewers.

The Do-Over is a fun pick for anyone who can stomach its cruder side. The bait-and-switch it pulls with its plot makes the story a little lopsided, but it makes up for this with wild antics, leads who get along well, and a reasonably rewarding story. Sensitive viewers should steer clear, as should anyone looking for a heartfelt comedy about second chances.

For a case of mistaken identity with less comedy and more romance, try The Tourist. For a dramatic comedy about a man who fakes his death to make a fresh start, try Arthur Newman. For a more serious story about an ordinary man doing something about his insufferable life, try Fight Club. For a more relaxed comedy with David Spade and Adam Sandler, try Grown Ups. For an Adam Sandler comedy with a similar focus on sex, That’s My Boy.

[5.7 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4769836/). I give it a 6.5 for wild comedy with an odd plot trajectory.

Today’s quick review: Grown Ups 2. On the last day of the school year, Lenny (Adam Sandler) plans a party for the town with his friends Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), and Marcus (David Spade). Meanwhile, Lenny’s son Greg (Jake Goldberg) works up the courage to ask a girl out for a date, his younger son Keith (Cameron Boyce) deals with a bully, and his wife Roxanne (Salma Hayek) contemplates having another child.

Grown Ups 2 is a comedy that picks up two years after Grown Ups. Lenny and his family have moved back to his hometown, allowing him to be closer to his childhood friends and letting his kids have a more normal life. Grown Ups 2 keeps the same loose plotting and raucous, family-themed humor as the first movie. However, it struggles with problems its predecessor did not, including an unclear theme and a greater reliance on gimmicks and cameos.

Grown Ups 2 juggles an enormous cast. The majority of characters from the first movie return, including Lenny, his friends, their families, and their old basketball rivals. They are joined by an assortment of newcomers that include a pair of cops (Shaquille O’Neal and Peter Dante), the leader of a hostile fraternity (Taylor Lautner), and Lenny’s childhood bully (Steve Austin).

The huge cast is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it expands the focuse from Lenny and his immediate circle to the quirky characters of his home town. On the other hand, it dilutes the greatest strength of the first movie, which was giving a group of comedians free rein in a wide-open setting. Grown Ups 2 has time for Lenny and his family, but Eric, Kurt, and Marcus lose screen time to the expanded supporting cast.

As for its comedy, Grown Ups 2 takes more liberties than the original. Where Grown Ups took place in a normal world populated with some odd characters and peppered with slapstick, Grown Ups 2 cranks up the bizarreness. Every character is quirky, the slapstick is borderline cartoonish, and there is a tendency for the entire town to revolve around Lenny. The humor will still be entertaining for fans of Sandler, but it is more uneven than the original.

Grown Ups 2 is a fun pick for anyone who enjoyed the first movie and wants to spend more time with its characters. The jokes hit most of the time, the light tone carries through, and the additions to the world, although a little wild, are entertaining. But Grown Ups 2 is neither as focused nor as careful as the original. Fans of the cast should check out Grown Ups 2. Viewers who are on the fence may want to steer clear.

For a more tongue-in-cheek comedy with a similar focus on the main characters’ social circle, try Wayne’s World or A Night at the Roxbury.

[5.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2191701/). I give it a 6.5 for erratic but enjoyable humor.

Today’s quick review: Grown Ups. Thirty years after they played middle school basketball together, Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), Marcus (David Spade), and Rob (Rob Schneider) get together at a lake house with their families. Over the course of the weekend, the five friends catch up with each other and rekindle their relationships with their wives (Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, Maya Rudolph, and Joyce Van Patten).

Grown Ups is a comedy starring an ensemble cast of comedians. The movie riffs on friendship, family, and middle age as five close friends spend the weekend relaxing with their families. Grown Ups takes a more laid-back approach than other comedies. There is almost nothing in the way of plot or conflict. Instead, the movie takes a step back and lets its cast take center stage, focusing on their friendship and their banter.

The upshot of this is that Grown Ups is a very comfortable movie. The cast is clearly at ease and having fun, and having five families full of quirky character gives them plenty of material to work with. The humor is a mixture of family jokes, the friends ribbing on each other, and slapstick. The jokes walk the line of mean-spirited in a few places, but the characters’ high tolerance for each other keeps the tone light and friendly.

The downside is an almost total lack of story. Grown Ups has a handful of subplots related to the friends and their families, but none of them act as the backbone of the movie. Instead, Grown Ups is made up of a series of incidents that are only loosely tied together. What progression there is comes from getting to know the characters and seeing them work through a few minor, individual problems, not from an overarching plot.

How much you get out of Grown Ups will vary wildly. Fans of the cast will enjoy the movie for what it is: a light comedy that gives its stars free reign. But the lack of plot makes the movie one-dimensional, and anyone who dislikes Sandler and his co-stars will have a rough time. Still, for the right viewer, Grown Ups is a feel-good movie that captures the joys of friendship and the freedom of summer.

For a classic ensemble comedy that also lets its stars shine, albeit in the context of a more elaborate plot, try It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. For a more modern ensemble comedy, try Rat Race. For an Adam Sandler movie with similar chemistry, try Just Go With It.

[6.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375670/). I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for easygoing but hit-or-miss comedy with minimal story backing it.

“I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.” —Principal

Today’s quick review: Billy Madison. Billy Madison (Adam Sandler), the idiot son of a hotel tycoon (Darren McGavin), is shocked when his father says he will retire and leave his company to Eric Gordon (Bradley Whitford), a scheming vice-president. To prove he has what it takes to lead the company, Billy re-enrolls in grade school and tries to graduate in six months with the help of a beautiful third grade teacher (Bridgette Wilson).

Billy Madison is a comedy about an unintelligent man who goes back to school to win a bet with his father. Adam Sandler stars as Billy, who spends his days living off his father’s wealth and never applying himself. Returning to first grade, Billy makes new friends, revisits old schoolwork, and learns to do something with his life. Billy Madison scores a few hits with its humor, but its story and comedy may skew too low-brow for some viewers.

Billy Madison has two main sources of gags: Billy’s immature and the incongruity of a grown man going through grade school. The upshot is that this lets the movie experiment with a lot of ideas, some of which work out. Billy pulls pranks, flirts with teachers and parents, and competes aggressively with children a fraction of his age. The downside is that many of the jokes come across as crude, miscalibrated, or simply forced.

Nearly everything about Billy Madison is hit-or-miss. Billy’s behavior is loud and grating, the plot is contrived, and the school humor consists of taking ordinary situations and making them absurd or uncomfortable. But for the right viewer, Billy Madison will be just the right kind of ridiculous. Give it a shot if you are a fan of Adam Sandler’s style of raucous humor. Skip it if you are searching for something refined.

For an Adam Sandler comedy with a similar sense of humor, try Hubie Halloween. For another Adam Sandler comedy about an ordinary man fighting for a hotel chain, try Bedtime Stories. For a more thoughtful comedy about a mentally challenged man thrust out into the world, try Being There or Forrest Gump. For a comedy that operates on similar rules and has more flair, try Zoolander.

[6.4 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112508/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for uneven humor that sometimes hits the mark.

Today’s quick review: Happy Gilmore. Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler), an aspiring hockey player, discovers his true calling when he realizes that his fast slapshot gives him a phenomenal golf drive. Under the tutelage of Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers), Happy takes the golf world by storm, using brute force to make up for his lack of experience. Along the way, he makes an enemy of Shooter McGavin (Christohper McDonald), a stuck-up golf pro.

Happy Gilmore is a sports comedy about a novice golfer who defies every unwritten rule of the game. Adam Sandler stars as Happy, a hockey player whose boisterous antics make him a controversial figure on the golf course. Happy Gilmore follows its hero as he learns the rules of golf, competes with the pros, and tries to win the money he needs to save his grandmother’s (Frances Bay) house from being taken by the IRS.

Happy Gilmore makes its premise work for it. Happy’s slapshot is just ridiculous enough for some comedy without undermining the rest of the story. The humor stays focused on golf rather than veering off into weird tangents. Happy is a likable protagonist, a fairly ordinary man who brings his down-to-earth sensibilities to the golf pro tour. Finally, the story is a satisfying underdog sports plot with a nice sense of progression.

The end result is a comedy that knows exactly what it’s trying to do and pulls it off. Happy Gilmore is a fine pick when you’re in the mood for something light, well-calibrated, and more focused than other comedies of its kind. Not everyone will like Adam Sandler’s sense of humor, and the story is a little more laid-back than other sports movies, but Happy Gilmore’s strengths are enough to give it broad appeal. Check it out.

For an even goofier underdog sports comedy, check out Dodgeball or Kingpin. For a classic golf comedy, try Caddyshack. For another comedy starring Adam Sandler, try Big Daddy or Anger Management. For a kids’ sports comedy about a boy with an incredible fastball, try Rookie of the Year.

[7.0 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116483/). I give it the same for well-judged comedy in a tidy package.