Click (2006)

Rating: 1/10 (6 November 2019)

People who copy their political opinion from stand-up comedians are fucking idiots.
But by God, did George Carlin have a point when he said America is one big shopping mall.
Click embraces this statement with open arms.
Adam Sandler plays Michael Newman, an architect who is too busy with his work to spend time with his family.
After some scenes with the typical Happy Madison (the by Sandler founded production company that produces all his films) spiel, Michael goes to a shop where he comes across Christopher Walken, who gives him an universal remote.
The gimmick is that the remote controls the universe instead of his TV.
So Adam Sandler goes on with his life, fast forwards whenever he's bored and changes the brightness on himself so he can get a tan.
The remote is programmed to recognise his personal preferences and fast forwards after a while through his life where Michael has no control over whether it fast forwards or not.
The humor is like a lukewarm beer.
People who fall down, get kicked in the crotch, or get ridiculed by their appearance.
It's funny because Adam Sandler has a fat ex.
It's funny because he has a funny name.
It's funny because he is a she.
All in all, humor who mouthbreathers find hilarious.
It all culminates with Sandler who has eventually fast forwarded too far in his life.
He dies in the rain while sad violin music plays.
This isn't rare for a Happy Madison film: tricking the audience into thinking the film has a heart.
But no, it appears the entire endeavor was a dream and Sandler does his best "It's a Wonderful Life" impersonation.
Or not, because he gets a new remote which he immediately throws away.
Calling it corny and clichematic is an understatement.
One of the reasons that I decided to review Click instead of such Adam Sandler classics like "That's My Boy", "Jack & Jill" or "Eight Crazy Nights" is that the public opinion for "Click" is relatively high, for a Sandler flick at least.
I have to admit, there are good Sandler films.
"Funny People" was good, although it's almost a critique of Sandler's work.
"Punch-Drunk Love" is also worth a watch.
Probably because the director, Paul Thomas Anderson, writer-director of "Boogie Nights" and "There Will Be Blood", had a vision.
I don't know why, but especially Americans fall for the typical Sandler film.
Click alone won back 230 million dollars.
The film itself betrays its message, spending more time with family and less with work, by focusing more on work by stuffing the film with ridiculous "surreptitious" advertising.
If the film doesn't follow its own message, what's the point?
The true message behind the film is searching for answers.
Always finding meaning behind everything.
In a scene Sandler doesn't remember what the song was when he and his wife first met for each other.
What he then does is winding back to the exact moment and back to the present to tell his wife what song was playing, and what she wore.
Is there something more American than finding meaning behind everything?
What if Pulp Fiction just told you what was in the briefcase?
What if Das weiße Band just told you who commit the crimes?
What if The Shining had a voice-over at the end which explained to you what happened to Jack?
Click would sell its own message in clean, small packages in stores for $3,99.
In George Carlin's vision of America "Click" would be constantly played in malls.
That is the only thing it's good for.
No impact on culture, only box office success, to eventually end up in a 2 for 1 DVD sale at a mall.