Often funny, sometimes not so funny, but it's not all about the laughs

Rating: 8/10 (6 December 2008)

I guess I first heard of this movie around the time it was released in 2006, but never looked at it as a must-see, or a movie to avoid at all costs. I've never been a HUGE Adam Sandler fan, but he has made me laugh in some of the films I've seen him in (mind you, I think he can be pretty lame at times). Over two years after "Click" was released in theatres, I finally got around to giving it a try. It seemed to be looked upon as one of Sandler's better films, unlike that lame "Eight Crazy Nights", so I had reasonable expectations. Like probably many others, I was expecting typical Sandler fare for the most part, but eventually, that wasn't entirely what I got, not that I'm complaining.
Michael Newman is a workaholic architect who lives with his wife, Donna, and two kids, Ben and Samantha. Determined to please his boss and get a promotion, he prioritizes his work, which interferes with his family life. Another problem is that he eats very poorly. One night, tired of clicking the wrong remote control while trying to turn the TV on, he decides to go out and buy a universal remote, which he will be able to use on all electrical items. During his search, he meets Morty, a strange scientist who introduces him to a brand new remote control, one which isn't even on the market yet! With this remote, one can actually control their entire universe! Michael takes it, and soon finds that his life is now a lot like a DVD! He can even skip any moment in his life he wishes to, going through it on auto-pilot! So, his life seems to be improving with this remote, until he begins to lose control of it! When this happens, it causes him grave misfortune, and he can't get rid of it!
One may assume that this is another silly Adam Sandler comedy, and for much of the film, this is true. It starts out like that, and remains that way for quite a while. I laughed quite a bit, especially during scenes such as Prince Habeeboo annoyed by the mispronunciations of his name, the rivalry between Michael and a kid next door named Kevin O'Doyle, and Michael pausing his boss to slap and fart on him. Yes, even though I find fart jokes to be a major clichÃ© in modern comedies, and not usually funny, for some reason, that one made me laugh! I guess it's better than a character just farting at random. Sometimes, the humour in this film gets a little TOO juvenile, such as the jokes about the main character being born with an unusually small penis. If it were all about the humour, I wouldn't be able to rate this film any higher than a 7, but later in the film, it becomes more dramatic, sometimes even heart-wrenching! They really pulled this off, and I sometimes got a lump in my throat from it!
This isn't the only film Adam Sandler has ever starred in that has drama in it, but so far, it's the only one I've seen, and judging by his performance here, it appears he can do it! Also, I have to point out Kate Beckinsale in the cast. I've seen her before in "Brokedown Palace", "Underworld", and "Pearl Harbour", but for some reason, I still didn't recognise her in "Click". However, at the end credits, when I realized she played Donna Newman, I thought it was nice to see her in a decent movie for once. Of the previous three, I found that "Brokedown Palace" was the best, and even that one isn't really that good. Another highlight in this film's cast is Christopher Walken as Morty. The last role I saw him in before this one was the main villain in 1985's "A View to a Kill", one of the inferior James Bond movies, so this film is much better than that one as well! Anyway, overall, "Click" is an impressive dramedy, with a good message about the importance of families!