JUST GO WITH IT is one of those high-concept romantic comedies that can easily be described in one sentence:
The power of the wedding ring….(go ahead, you finish the sentence.)
You don’t have to be an Adam Sandler fan to get a kick out of it—but it helps.
Here’s the concept: It’s 1988 and an often made-fun-of young boy with a Karl Malden-like dick-shaped nose eventually has it surgically altered. Now fast forward some 22 years and the boy is now a successful plastic surgeon spending his weekends bedding hotties.
His schtick: Pretending to be unhappily married and about to get a divorce.
Sound familiar?
Sandler’ssecret weapon in these skirt searches; a fake wedding ring.
And guess what—it usually works!
It’s all smooth sailing for Sandler until he meets nubile schoolteacher Palmer, played by Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker. And on their chance meeting the ring doesn’t’t make it onto his finger, it stays in his pocket. Which Palmer, of course, discovers.
Sandler’s only hope to salvage his chances with her now is to prove his unhappily married with children scheme. Which he does by enlisting his office assistant Jennifer Aniston (and her two kids) to pretend to be his soon-to-be ex.
What ensues is a who’s-on-first kind of cover-up, culminating in a Hawaiian vacation free-for-all.
You can only imagine who Sandler eventually ends up with.
Some of the film’s early setups are very funny as Sandler unmercifully spoofs our obsession with nips and tucks.
The highlight has to be Kevin Nealon’s brief cameo in which he’s unable to move his facial features anymore.
In a more unusual appearance, Nicole Kidman plays one of Aniston’s more obnoxious past acquaintances. And even Dave Matthews shows up for the merriment.
Trouble is, the movie doesn’t sustain the hilarity.
By midway into its 1:46 hour long running time it runs out of steam. Which is to say it’s about 20 minutes too long.
Forecast: Adam Sandler enjoys a big fan base. Same goes for Jennifer Aniston. Combine these two factions and Columbia Pictures has a guaranteed big first week for the film. After that? Good luck!
JUST GO WITH IT raises 2-1/2 out of 5 only so-so fingers.
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES—Friday mornings on KMBZ / KUDL / and KXTR.
And anytime on Time-Warner Cable’s K.C. ON DEMAND-Channel 113.
But does it have tits?
What about the “The Lincoln Lawyer”?
I really like the Michael Connley books and “The Lincoln Lawyer” was killer.
Check that one out Jack.
Please.
Have you ever seen movie “cashback”
Brooklyn Decker is so hot it makes me …..hot..
PS
I watch a lot of movies, always have, but over time…. sigh….. I am rarely catching any movies which I consider worthy of recommending to others……. that all seem to fall into the same old blah blah..
BUT…… yesterday I caught an idie flick called “CASHBACK” on HDNETMOVIES for free on DirecTV. I am seeing most of my movies like this latley, and most are OK, there is a great variety on cable now with AMC, TCM, HDNET TNT, SPIKE, TBS etc etc, it is awesome to see these in HIgh def without my having bought a blu ray player …i am skipping that generation of tech….
ANYWAY…I do not see much to write home (or write Jack) about……BUT “CASHBACK” was a gooder. After watching I did my typical IMDB.com lookup and WOW!!! this movie was up for an Academy award in the “short category” back in 2007, it did not win, but the money backers gave the movie people enough movie to make a full movie, and it was pretty good. It is about a guy who freezes time, and disrobe beatiful women to sketch them, but the plot goes fruther than that and iut has some pretty funny spots. It has some slow spots, but by movie end, it was a good view. : ) It was fun, and fun is a good thing to have.
Jack, maybe you should consider writing reviews and recommendations for older MUST SEE movies, not just touting new releases.
DVR rulez
I forgot to post my main point about watching these movies on DirecTV…….
the best part of using the DVR is being able to grab movies and watch them on my time. Not only can I skip commercials, but also…once I find a channel which shows many good movies, I can click on the channel and then look forward up to 2 weeks to look for movies …..when I see a movie that sounds good , I hit RECORD IT……. then it pops up after it plays…. it is like the Netflix que, but free. I am not signed up for Netflix, and have not rented a movie since last summer, but I watch a lot of movies….. I like my moves in HD ON MY HDTVS AND FREE 🙂
Agree with Chuck
Michael Connelly rules! I’m still waiting for Harry Bosch to make the big screen
Adam Sandler ceased to be funny about 10 movies ago.
His Everyman dick and fart jokes got old long ago.
Give me a break—PLEASE!
Hey thanks Decker Fan for your suggestion of writing about older movies. But frankly I can’t remember what I saw 3 weeks ago or reviewed last week.
Oh and “DR. ZHIVAGO” is still one of my ALL-TIME favorites!
GREAT MOVIE
Man I agree with you on Doctor Zhivago. Saw it a few years ago on the big Englewood theater screen and was blown away.
Wish that theater was still around to plays the classics.
jimmyd—agreed!
How do ya like those Hieronymus Bosch paintings? Whoa… Eastwood was in “Bloodwork”, not so much… It wasn’t terrible but it just didn’t have that Chandler, Chinatown, Hammet, Sam Spade old LA feel to it at all.
Jack—how bout Lawrence of Arabia?
ONE BREAK, COMING UP
My main point was, when was the last time you, or ANYONE saw a movie that was surprisingly good? Movies being made these days are crap, but I know there are movies “out there”, from the past, which are great, and worth seeing…… and I thought maybe as opposed to only giving press to the tripe being shoveled weekly…… maybeoffer some ideas / gems from the past, which might be suggested viewing.
I reccomended the film “Cashback”, which I accidently found, and I am sure there are other quality, noncliche, NON-“Sandler de jour” , NON pump it and dump it (ala green hornet) movies which I may have missed.
I have long list of such movies, but no one wnats to hear what I have to say, and so my list does not do me any good.
Maybe if/when you (anyone) comes across a good, noncliche, nonmainstream, litlle known, cool idea film they might suggest it …or not……. I was only throwing out ideas.