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Now that he’s settled down with a wife and new daughter, Adam Sandler seems to have softened up a bit around the edges. A long way from the hard-partying rich kid he played in Billy Madison, Adam Sandler stars in his new movie, Click, as a hard-working husband and father, just trying to give his family the life he always dreamed of having.
Michael Newman (Sandler) is a workaholic architect, trying to make partner in his firm. His womanizing boss (David Hasselhoff) keeps dangling the partnership in front of him—but no matter how hard he works, Michael can’t seem to get ahead.
One night, after yet another fight with his wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), over yet another canceled vacation—and fueled by frustration with his inability to figure out which remote controls the TV—Michael wanders into Bed Bath & Beyond, looking for a new-fangled remote control. There he meets Morty (Christopher Walken), who gives him the ultimate remote—which, he discovers, isn’t just a flashy remote that controls both the TV and the DVD player. It controls everything. He can rewind to his favorite old memories. He can fast-forward through arguments with his wife. He can skip dinners with his parents. He can mute his wife’s obnoxious friend. He can change the language to eavesdrop on his Japanese clients. It seems too good to be true.
But, of course, there’s a catch. After a while, the remote learns Michael’s preferences—and it automatically fast-forwards through things like arguments and family time and illness. And he starts missing out on huge chunks of his life.
Though the plot of Click is pretty predictable (if you’ve seen Bruce Almighty, you’ve pretty much seen it already), I don’t think anyone really goes to an Adam Sandler movie for the new and creative plot. People go to Adam Sandler movies to laugh. Because Adam Sandler is funny. And despite the fact that he’s softened up a little around the edges, he’s still funny—and he still loves the same old physical comedy and crude jokes. He’s just not as in-your-face as he was in his earlier movies, which only broadens his audience. To add to the fun, Sandler surrounds himself with actors who help to keep the laughs coming. You just can’t go wrong with Christopher Walken’s dry yet quirky comedy, and David Hasselhoff is perfectly cast as the plastic, slave-driving boss. The Hoff has been making people laugh for years—and it’s good to see him doing it intentionally this time.
My greatest problem with Click is the drama. The movie shows Michael Newman learning a valuable lesson—in an A Christmas Carol kind of way. At that point, you may even find yourself shedding a tear or two—and not because you’re laughing too hard. While Sandler actually does drama quite well, the heavily-dramatic parts in the movie feel out of place in a film that’s supposed to be a comedy. A little drama would have been okay—but here it’s a bit overdone, and it ends up putting a damper on the end of the movie.
Still, Click is yet another fun Adam Sandler film. While it’s definitely not his best, it still has a load of laughs and the usual cast of quirky characters. If you’re looking for a way to beat the summer heat for a few hours, there are worse things you can do with your time than heading to the air-conditioning of the local theater to see Click. Just come prepared. Bring tissues.
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