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Throughout his career, funnyman Adam Sandler has built a pretty loyal following of average guys who love wacky, over-the-top comedy. At the same time, Jennifer Aniston has built a pretty loyal following of her own—mostly 30- and 40-something women who like their comedies served with a hearty dose of romance. Together, those two groups make for an unusual audience—but both halves will be pleasantly surprised by the new Sandler / Aniston comedy, Just Go with It.
More than two decades ago, Danny (Sandler) had a close call with marriage. But on the night of his cancelled wedding, poor, heartbroken Danny learned that his wedding band could come in handy. Not only was the ring (and his accompanying sob story about a horrible [fake] marriage) a turn-on for women, but it also allowed him to keep women at a distance, preventing future heartbreak.
Now a successful plastic surgeon, Danny has been using his ring for years, attracting one hot young woman after another. But then he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), a gorgeous young teacher who could actually be The One.
When Palmer finds the ring in his pocket, Danny worries that he’ll lose her—so he begs his assistant, Katherine (Aniston), to pose as his soon-to-be ex. But when her kids get involved, Danny’s lie begins to spin out of control.
Just Go with It was a pretty risky project. After all, Aniston may have been adorable as Rachel on Friends, but she’s had some pretty horrible luck with movies (though 2010’s The Switch was actually pretty good). And although Sandler’s brand of bizarre comedy was once rather consistently funny (if you find total insanity funny, that is), he’s been pretty hit-or-miss (with an emphasis on the miss) of late. But Just Go With It takes the best parts of the two likeable but unreliable stars and manages to produce a surprisingly enjoyable [romantic] comedy.
Remember the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups slogan, “Two great tastes that taste great together”? Well, Just Go with It is more like “Two inconsistent stars who work well together.” Though Sandler and Drew Barrymore made a strangely lovable pair in The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, he’s even better with Aniston. Not only do the co-stars and long-time friends have spectacular chemistry, but their personalities manage to balance each other out. Sandler’s outrageous sense of humor loosens up Aniston’s typically cutesy comedy, while her sweet, girl-next-door image helps to tone down his usually over-the-top antics.
Of course, that’s not to say that Just Go with It is the perfect comedy. Like any Sandler comedy, it has its share of awkward humor and bad improv. And the story (with the kind of forced conflict that could be over in five minutes, if the main character would just tell the truth) has been done before. But the flaws are pretty easy to overlook, thanks to its lovable cast and its generally easy-going (and sometimes flat-out hilarious) comedy.
For Aniston’s fans, Just Go with It has cute kids and a hint of romance. For Sandler’s fans, it has hot chicks and bizarre jokes involving livestock. Somehow, these two very different tastes actually work well together—and the result is a brainless winter comedy that both guys and girls will enjoy.
Blu-ray Review:
The Blu-ray release of the surprisingly lovable Just Go with It is surprisingly loaded with extras—including the customary gag reel as well as sixteen deleted scenes and two separate commentary tracks (a giggly guys’-night track with Sandler, Swardson, and others and more insightful but rather dry track with director Dennis Dugan).
The special features menu also includes twelve additional behind-the-scenes featurettes: two for Brooklyn Decker, two for Kevin Nealon, one for Nick Swardson, one for the kooky director, one for the kids, one for the cameos…. Even a practical-joking prop guy gets his own special feature.
The filmmakers weren’t especially selective when it came to putting together the Blu-ray extras—and they’re aren’t all must-sees. But if you’ve got just a few minutes to spare, check out some of the cast features—like Sneaky Kiki and Bart the Water Fart (a super-short feature on the child actors), The Perfect Couple (on Jen and Adam), and The Not So Perfect Couple (on Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews).
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