Another Silly, Off-Key Character Comedy From Sandler That's Funnier Than it Really Should Be

Rating: 8/10 (23 April 2012)

Arguably the last of Adam Sandler's string of truly funny character comedies. It's dumb in an earnest and appealing way, with Sandler in his element as the dense, innocent hayseed with tons of peculiar charisma and an aggressively violent streak. He's undeniably the centerpiece of this story, but also isn't afraid to share the screen with the other denizens of this obtuse little world he's populated - a necessity, since a crippling stutter leaves him unable to complete more than a few sentences at a time. Kathy Bates and Henry Winkler unleash their wickedly funny hidden talents in supporting roles as Sandler's sanctimonious, over-protective mother and cowardly savant football coach, respectively. Though the SNL alum would later dip into the well too often, at this point his backup squad of one-note bit characters and bizarre non sequiturs still felt fresh and genuine. Loaded with buried gems and unexpectedly brilliant one-liners, it left me grinning and wiping tears from my eyes in several spots. Much funnier than the absurdly simple concept would lead you to believe.