You're the state idiot of Hawaii.

Rating: 2/10 (7 March 2005)

I don't know what happened. The critics are raving about this film because it "shows Sandler's humble and sensitive side", but I am raving because we saw this side of him. Where was his Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison days? Have they long gone? I at least thought that it would be better or as good as The Wedding Singer, but alas, that dream didn't come true either. The moment we walked out of the theater after seeing this, my wife referenced it to a bowl of oatmeal. The lumpiness of it reminded her of this film.
50 First Dates just didn't make any sense. There were loopholes like crazy that our audience just didn't see because they were laughing at the walrus throwing up scene. There were scenes that were not finished, and there were actors that just didn't care that they were in the film. It is bad when people who have seen this film are talking more about Sean Astin and Rob Schneider more than Sandler or Barrymore. Astin, oddly enough, wore the same outfit in this film as his "brother" did in the Goonies movie. Coincidence? No, I saw this as yet another marketing ploy to make people think that there was something funny going on when there actually wasn't. Drew was off in this film. She just seemed like she was overacting, while it seemed like Sandler just wasn't himself. I guess that is what happens when Happy Madison productions and Flower Films team up to do a movie ... wait ... don't they both own those production companies? Cheap people. What was Dan Aykroyd doing in this film? There was a line that he said that just didn't seem to fit anywhere in the movie at all. He wasn't funny. Also, he was trying (or perhaps it was the director, but Aykroyd was in on it too) to milk every last drop from Tommy Boy. Something about Callahan motors paying for the doctor's office. I don't know, by that time I was ready to pass out from the boredom.
There was only one redeeming scene in this film, and that was close to the end. I am not even going to talk about it, because just like Barrymore in this film, I am hoping that I wake up tomorrow and I don't remember this at all. People just need to be educated. What gets me about this film is that if you watched the film, you would understand that the song that Barrymore sang, the pivotal song of the film ... the song that takes Sandler back to her ... was not sung because she remembered him, but because she remembered her parents. WAS NOBODY PAYING ATTENTION??? Arg. Where was Kevin McDonald? Where was Steve Buscemi? Where was the fun? Missing from this film.
The only compliment that I will pay this film is that it did make me want to go back to Maui. The background was beautiful. That is what the whole state is like. Too bad this film couldn't have been the same. Unless Sandler goes back to a serious director, I will definitely think twice about giving my money back to him. I sometimes wish that I could place his face on a milk carton and send it out ... send the message that we miss the old Sandler, and hope that he gets the message.
A man can dream ... can't he?
Grade: * out of *****