JUST GO WITH IT
CAROLINE: Just Go With It is a new deceptive romantic comedy starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.
RYAN: I didn’t get to attend the screening with you; why is it deceptive?
CAROLINE: Because it’s actually a family comedy masquerading as a rom com, and I really didn’t appreciate that. I can’t believe this is the best Hollywood has to offer for Valentine’s Day. Except for a cute 5 or 10 minutes toward the end, this movie is full of stupid poop jokes and almost entirely focuses on Jenny Ani’s two kids.
RYAN: So disappointing. We’ve been waiting a long time for a good new rom com. Is it predictable to boot?
CAROLINE: Yeah, but that didn’t bother me so much; that was actually the part I liked because it finally got convincingly romantical at the end and it made me happy. The fact that I’m supposed to buy Adam Sandler and Brooklyn Decker as a couple is ridonk. And Adam Sandler has a stupid sidekick who does a fake German accent the whole time, plus the kids are kind of annoying… if it weren’t for the totally predictable ending that I liked, this movie would be a waste of time.
RYAN: Sounds like it’s got stupid juvenile humor.
CAROLINE: Totally. I think that’s all Adam Sandler is capable of these days. I don’t know what happened to his cute rom com roles like in 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer.
RYAN: He’s definitely heading toward the family film genre in the last few years. It’s kind of the same path that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seems to be following.
CAROLINE: I didn’t completely hate it because I like the two lead actors, but it’s mostly a groaner full of dumb jokes. And I was surprised at how much it centered around the kids.
RYAN: Is Jennifer Aniston capable of picking a good movie anymore?
CAROLINE: That’s unclear. But you would have loved the substantial cameo from Nicole Kidman. She does an over-the-top American accent and is actually pretty campy and funny. I’m not used to seeing her in roles like this.
RYAN: I love it! She’s reason enough for me to see this movie. What’s the nature of her character?
CAROLINE: She plays Jenny Ani’s college nemesis, and Dave Matthews plays her husband, which was a surprise. But please don’t bother seeing this movie in the theater; I only give you permission to rent it. It has a couple of funny moments, but I rarely laughed out loud. Jennifer Aniston looks great though, and Brooklyn Decker is gorgeous, of course.
RYAN: How’s the length?
CAROLINE: It’s a bit too long at nearly two hours. It didn’t drag per se, but I was constantly rolling my eyes at the lame jokes. I wanted it to be smarter and more romantic and certainly funnier. I expected a little more from Jennifer Aniston, but maybe I shouldn’t anymore.
RYAN: Jenny Ani needs to take the advice of some actress I just read about – I think it was Mandy Moore – who said something like, “I’m going to be smarter about the kinds of roles I choose and not take just any dumb romantic comedy that comes my way.” Listen up, Jenny! Mandy is actually making sense.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CAROLINE: This movie has a few sweet moments, and I loved the ending because I’m cheesy like that. Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler have surprisingly good chemistry. For someone who’s not traditionally handsome, Adam Sandler can be very sweet as a romantic lead. But it’s not remotely funny enough and the jokes are silly and geared at kids. It’s a rental at best, and that’s being generous.
— RATING —
