Sandler Should Be Disowned

Review: That’s My Boy

The new Adam Sandler film, That’s My Boy, which tells the tale of Donnie Berger's attempts to reconnect with his son, whom he fathered when you was only a teenager, tanked at the box office this past weekend. I think there’s a few reasons for that.

Foremost, I think audiences have finally grown tired of Adam Sandler’s style of comedy. He never really switches up what he’s going to do in his comedies anymore. An annoying voice and some immature antics pretty much sums up everything Adam Sandler has to offer.

It was acceptable during the early Adam Sandler years – Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, and The Waterboy are classics! – but now it’s just old. That’s My Boy continues the trend of offering us nothing new. Oh, Sandler’s playing another man-child? Pass.

Perhaps Sandler, who normally sticks to PG/PG-13 films, thought that going for the R-rating with That’s My Boy constituted doing something fresh and innovative. It doesn’t. In fact, being raunchier ends up shifting Sandler from his standard bumbling and ignorant character to a complete jackass. The jokes go from inappropriate to just plain mean.

It’s one thing when Sandler plays nice guys and pauses time to slaps his jerk boss in Click (who hasn’t wanted to do that at one point or another) or takes on a table of condescending elitists in Mr. Deeds. But it’s entirely different when Sandler is the jerk and is kicking people while they’re down. Going after those who are already marginalized in That’s My Boy only makes Sandler’s character, Donnie, a bully.

What’s weird is that, aside from his son, played by Andy Samberg (Hot Rod), every other character can’t seem to get enough of Donnie; they love him and think he’s hilarious. Um, no. Real people would think he’s a douche-bag. If his character is supposed to be charismatic, then make him charismatic. But don’t try and tell us that everyone instantly likes a character who is perpetually mean and raunchy.

That’s My Boy does have some laughs, to be sure, but the whole thing is all very predictable. Which is too bad. We know Samberg is hilarious from SNL. We know director Sean Anders is funny from writing/directing Sex Drive and directing She’s Out of My League. We know Sandler can be funny from his classic hits and can really deliver dramatic performances from films like Punch-Drunk Love, Reign Over Me, and Spanglish. So really, it just seems like none of them really put any effort into That’s My Boy. That’s okay, audiences don’t have to put any effort into going to see it. 

The Final Word: Don’t even bother.