Not bad, but far from great

Rating: 6/10 (4 December 2012)

Adam Sandler is one of those actors that people either really love or can't stand. His knack for playing surprisingly intelligent fools has won him a dedicated fan base. His movies were never meant to be high art, and so he did not take himself seriously, and made no apologies for it. In recent years, his characters have taken a subtle shift from likable, nitwit to everyman. This change signaled a shift in the type of movies he makes. His want for more substance results in a final product that is more mediocre than he perhaps intended. Which is not to say that this movie is bad. Sandler's Michael is likable. His love for his wife and children is apparent. He wants the absolute best for his family but he hates inconvenience, and so thinks that all of his problems would disappear if only he got promoted. Enter Morty, who gives him a special universal remote, which Michael uses to fast-forward through the difficult parts of his life. As a result,his marriage falls apart, his relationships with his son and daughter become tumultuous, and his health begins to deteriorate. Though he has money, nothing in his life is fulfilling. This culminates in an overdone climax wherein the melodrama factor is almost suffocating. Overall, the film is an average critique on the true way to happiness, hampered only by Sandler's overly clichéd execution.