The Film
At least the stars looked like they were having fun - that probably will cross a few viewers' minds when they see Grown Ups, a film about middle aged men reliving the past. But the result is sort of like being the fifth wheel as four others reminisce about the glory days. You can't actually relate, you're not quite in on the joke and it just isn't that funny - even if it supposed to be funny.
At least Adam Sandler got together with his former SNL cast mates including Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider along with Kevin James (we only assume Kevin Nealon was off filming "Weeds"). The twist here is that the five gather for the funeral of their beloved peewee basketball coach, but instead of being the losers way back when they were actually the winners. They each need to overcome the problems in their lives - but with attractive wives, decent jobs and spoiled children, their "problems" would be a dream for most viewers today. But at least these comics who never had to grow up had fun making this movie.
For another take on Grown Ups, read Joe Lozito's review.
The Picture
They say you can't go home again, but if you ever can you should hope it looks as good as the setting of Grown Ups. The lake house that serves as the backdrop for the film looks marvelous on Blu-ray, with crisp blue water that looks oh so inviting (how long ago was summer actually), while the greens of the forest, the fireworks of the Fourth of July and just about everything else is vibrant and rich. The 1080p 1.85:1 presentation is great for the good looking scenes as well as some of the more sophomoric sight gags - no one should get such a good view of David Spade sans underwear.
The Sound
As a comedy there isn't really much to take notice of with the sound, and while the dialog is clear - as are the socially inappropriate audio cues - this is one of those films where the 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is essentially wasted. In fact, this reviewer had to go back and actually listen to see if there was any sound coming from the rear channels. It's there, but it is so subtle that you'll probably never notice it.
The Extras
The disc features a blooper reel that despite the warning that "laughing is contagious" will likely you leave you more embarrassed for the stars than amused, while the gag reel is more of the same. There is also a featurette on the cast of the film, while the Blu-ray exclusives include deleted scenes, a "riff-o-rama" featurette as well as a making of with the film's director. Additionally, this disc is BD-Live-enabled, and includes the movieIQ feature, but anyone taking time to actually use that feature on this particular film might want to consider having their IQ checked.
Final Thoughts
Maybe Adam Sandler thought it would be fun to reunite with some old buddies, and make a film about reliving the old days. The problem is that this one is filled with enough innuendo to make it too uncomfortable for it to be a true family movie, and yet at times you can tell the cast wanted to take this to the edge. Maybe the guys should have ditched the wives and kids and let this film be the raunchy film it could have been - in other words, one for the Grown Ups.
Product Details
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