Charming 80's flashback

Rating: 7/10 (22 July 2016)

I'm not usually very stoked on Adam Sandler movies, I'll say that right off the bat. I mean, there's a lucky select few that are either geniunly funny or have nostalgic value (Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy and the absurdly fascinating Little Nicky come to mind), but he's just such a ball of cancer on screen it's hard to actively see his stuff. The Wedding Singer, however, is a really sweet little movie, and works well thanks to an impressive 80's soundtrack and the presence of Drew Barrymore, who frequently hangs around in Sandler's stuff. He plays Robbie Hart here, a singer who belts out the hits of the 1980's at weddings, parties, you name it. After being left at the alter by his fiancÃ©, he spots waitress Julia (Barrymore), who uncannily seems to be working every event she is. The two form a bond, but she is engaged to another dude (Matthew Glave), who quickly is revealed to be kind of a jerkoff, prompting Robbie to go to great lengths to prove, and win Julia's heart. The film makes the absolute most of its setting, as any period piece should. The music is a delight, right down to the amusing dawn of the 'CD', and a great little cameo from a rock legend aboard an airline. Some of the usual troupe of Sandler disciples pop up here, including Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Kevin Nealon, Peter Dante, Jon Lovitz and Steve Buscemi, who can be counted on to appear in pretty much any Adam flick you can think of. Sandler and Barrymore handle the comedic romance well and have decent chemistry (perhaps while they're always paired). It's light, sweet, carried on by the rockin soundtrack and detailed production design.