Cool little romance flick, cute, and light

Rating: 7/10 (20 August 2011)

Adam Sandler comedies are very hit and miss. Click, The Wedding Singer...true brilliance. Big Daddy, his early work like Happy Gilmore, Zoltan...I could go on...utter crap. Now we have this light hearted, cute, funny little comedy Just Go With It. It is somewhere in the middle of some of his previous work. It definitely has its fair share of knee slapping comedy, but is also very predictable and run of the mill which isn't necessarily a fault but it also doesn't make the film stand out in a sea of other romantic films. It does make a great date movie and I think gals will probably enjoy the film more than guys. One of the truly great things about the film are the young stars that play the kids in the film. They have some of the best comedic scenes.
Adam Sandler is...well Adam Sandler...nothing new here. He plays rich and womanizing Danny. In a lot of ways his character is sort of unlikable but then at the same time you sort of feel sorry for the guy and he's kind of a down to earth regular guy which Sandler does well at. Hollywood star Jennifer Aniston plays Katherine, Sandler's best friend and office manager. You wouldn't normally expect chemistry between Aniston and Sandler but they are actually pretty decent. They have good comedic timing together and good chemistry. Aniston is impeccably sweet as usual, and she does romantic comedy very well. Brooklyn Decker plays Palmer, the voluptuous, if not slightly vapid object of Sandler's affections. Decker is decent in her role, certainly plays the eye candy role well. This is really her feature film debut and she is decent at it! Probably above average for a model turned actress. Bailee Madison is one of the youngsters I mentioned previously that plays Aniston's children. Madison is truly outstanding and hilarious in her role. This ten year old girl has over a dozen credits to her name and her talent shines through even in this role. Griffin Gluck also does well as the little brother. Madison definitely outshines Gluck but he is still really good too and has some very solid moments in the film. Nick Swardson is silly and annoying as Sandler's cousin. He is usually silly and annoying but it doesn't fit this film when its almost trying to be a serious romantic comedy. Nicole Kidman makes a cameo performance as Aniston's college nemesis Devlin Adams. Considering her role is significantly small she does a great job.
Dennis Dugan is the director for this film...not a surprise given he's been riding the Sandler train for years. Dugan is a director that clearly likes slapstick comedy more than telling a story. He has directed some of Sandler's worst comedies including the aforementioned Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy, as well as Zoltan, Chuck and Larry and Grown Ups. He just seems to churn these films out and wants to have a good time instead of making sure he's making a good movie. Just Go With It is a decent film because of the cast and the cute story but it certainly isn't top notch. Its light and fluffy and silly and I just wanted more from it I suppose. I know Sandler is capable, I know Aniston is capable but it does entertain. It isn't legendary comedy or romance but its worth a Saturday night movie night. 7/10