Rated
R (Crude Sexual Content Throughout, Nudity, Pervasive Language and some Drug
Use)
Running
Time: 1 Hour & 56 Minutes
Cast-
Adam
Sandler-Donny Berger
Andy
Samberg-Todd Peterson/Han Solo Berger
Leighton
Meester-Jamie
Robert
Van Winkle aka 'Vanilla Ice'-As Himself
Milo
Ventimiglia-Chad
James
Caan-Father McNally
Eva
Amurri Martino-Young Mary McGarricle
Susan
Sarandon-Older Mary McGarricle
Blake
Clark-Gerald
Meagen
Fay-Helen
Tony
Orlando-Steve Spirou
Peggy
Stewart-Grandma Delores
Dan
Patrick-Randall Morgan
Will
Forte-Phil
Rachel
Dratch-Phil's Wife
Nick
Swardson-Kenny
Luenell
Campbell- Champale
Ciara
Harris-Brie
Directed
by Sean Anders
 |
| Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg star in "That's My Boy," a comedy that will cause brain-damage. |
Eric
Eisenberg of CinemaBlend remarks in his review of "That's My Boy"
that 'at some point Adam Sandler simply gave up.' Discovering that he was a
natural comic, Sandler began his career performing in comedy clubs at the
insistence of his brother Scott and was discovered by stand-up comedian Dennis
Miller when he caught Sandler's act in Los Angeles. At the time, Miller was a
cast member on NBC's sketch comedy/variety show "Saturday Night Live"
and recommended Sandler to producer Lorne Michaels, who hired the aspiring
comedian as a writer in 1990. Sandler was officially added to the
"SNL" cast in 1991 but was fired from the show four years later in
1995, along with Chris Farley. However, this didn't mark the end of Sandler's
career as the comedian began transitioning toward films, starting with 1995's
"Billy Madison." It wasn't until 1998 when Sandler had his first of twelve hits with "The
Waterboy," which grossed $186 million worldwide against a production
budget of only $23 million. In the film, Sandler played a man-child with a
heart-of-gold and fourteen years later, he's still playing the same role and reaping millions at the box office.
Squandering its R-rating and featuring one of the most annoying characters ever
created on-screen, "That's My Boy" is an excruciating two-hour
exercise full of tired sex jokes that will only appeal to brain-dead
degenerates. "Piranha 3DD," you now have someone to keep you company
on the list of worst films of 2012.
In 1984, a dim-witted teenager named Donny
Berger sleeps with and ends up impregnating his middle school teacher, Mary
McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino). When the school (and the entire student body)
discovers the affair, McGarricle is sentenced to thirty years in prison while
Donny becomes an instant tabloid celebrity, raking in millions of dollars from
his newfound notoriety. Hitting rock-bottom as an adult, Donny (Adam Sandler)
is faced with a three-year prison sentence for tax evasion unless he can repay
$43,000 to the IRS. He discovers that his son—who changed his name from Han
Solo (yes, that is his name) to Todd Peterson (Andy Samberg) and moved out when
he was eighteen—is now a successful hedge-fund manager about to be married to a
beautiful woman named Jaime (Leighton Meester) on the cover of Parade magazine . Knowing that Todd
would never loan him the money, Donny instead concocts a sleazy scheme where he
convinces his son to visit his mother in prison and film the reunion for a
tabloid talk-show hosted by Randall Morgan (Dan Patrick). On the eve of the
wedding, Donny shows up at the summer home of Todd's boss in Cape Cod,
Massachusetts to put his plan in action but is dismayed to learn that Todd has
told everyone that his parents had died in a fiery explosion. Introducing his
father as his best friend who 'saved his life,' Todd finds himself in one
outrageous situation after another. As he spends time bonding with his son,
Donny begins to have second thoughts about his plan and decides to mend his
relationship with Todd.
Last year's "Jack and Jill" was one of the worst films of 2011 (3% on Rotten Tomatoes) but Adam Sandler
remains undeterred by such overwhelmingly critical disdain and sinks to new
lows with "That's My Boy," a painfully unfunny comedy full of juvenile/vulgar
sex jokes that will leave its audience with an IQ of zero, if they weren't
already. Despite the tasteless premise, the prologue did elicit a few chuckles but the film never does anything
particularly clever with it and the clichéd script feels as if it was written
by a hormone-addled fifteen-year-old boy who watched one too many porn movies,
which is surprising since the writer is David Caspe, the creator of ABC's
hilarious sitcom "Happy Endings." Also mentioned by Eric D. Snider on
Film.com, the potential of poking fun at society's double standards on underage
relationships, where a thirteen-year-old girl is considered to be a rape victim
if she sleeps with her teacher in contrast with a thirteen-year-old boy who is
viewed as a hero represents a missed opportunity as the film instead goes for
the lowest common denominator, spreading the asinine message that people should
reduce themselves into loud-mouthed idiots. Although freed from the restraints
of a PG-13 rating that Sandler's comedies usually receive, "That's My
Boy" squanders it's R-rating by scraping the bottom of the barrel with a lazy
assortment of gags involving an obese stripper with pasties, masturbating to
pictures of the bride's grandmother (Peggy Stewart), and of course, bodily
fluids such as vomit and semen. In a desperate attempt to one up itself, the
film even introduces a twist involving incest, as if statutory rape wasn't
enough. The only funny moment is when
Susan Sarandon pops up for a cameo as an older Mary McGarricle, which is ironic
since Sarandon is Eva Amurri Martino's mother. Not content with just being
crass, the film throws in racially offensive comments about Chinese people
where Todd's future mother-in-law Helen (Meagen Fay) glibly asks Todd if he's
'a Chinaman' after demonstrating his math skills. What's even more shocking is
that the audience erupted in laughter at this! Listening to Donny's grating
Boston accent for two hours feels like having a drill in your ears and will
test the very limits of your patience, to the point where you want someone to
rip out his vocal cords and end the misery. To even ask that we sympathize with
the character is both emotionally manipulative and hypocritical.
Once again,
Adam Sandler plays a man-child for the umpteenth time and what's really sad is
that the actor has proven himself to be above such material. 2002's
"Punch-Drunk Love," 2007's "Reign Over Me" and 2009's
"Funny People" represents Sandler's best work but his audience seems
to be devoid of any intelligence and avoided those films. Andy Samberg is
rather dull as the uptight Todd and all the women, especially Leighton Meester,
are shown to be little more than conniving b*tches or slutty bimbos. The film
is already tasteless and offensive, might as well add misogynistic while you're
at it. The supporting cast includes Milo Ventimiglia as an over-aggressive
marine and James Caan as a fist-throwing Irish priest while washed-up rapper
Vanilla Ice (Robert Van Winkle) plays a parody of himself. A slew of
"SNL" veterans also show up in small roles such as Will Forte, Rachel
Dratch, and Nick Swardson.
"That's My Boy" was released on June 15,
2012 and has received largely negative reviews to no one's surprise with 25% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Critics derided Sandler as 'repeating himself to diminishing
effect—and dragging Andy Samberg down with him.' I saw the film at an advanced
screening on Thursday night and it was embarrassing to watch the audience laugh
at every inane joke and mindless gag. This is why crap like this keeps getting
released as there are always people who are happily willing to eat it up,
similar to how flies are attracted to garbage all the time. Sandler has built
up a huge fan-base but it seems like the negative buzz is finally catching up
to him as "That's My Boy" is projected to land in third place this
weekend with $20 to $25 million, allowing Adam Shankman's much superior "Rock of Ages" to take second place.
There's still a chance that Sandler could have his thirteenth $100 million hit
and in that case, expect more schlock like this. Unfunny, offensive, and
misogynistic, "That's My Boy" continues Adam Sandler's losing streak
and once again earns a spot on the list of worst films of the year but my
opinion ultimately matters little as audiences will still continue to flock to
this crap in droves.
Final
Rating: 1 out of 5
"WASSUP!"
(Listening to this in Donny's voice for two hours will make your ears bleed.)
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