Adam Sandler movies can be hit and/or miss. Hit: Billy Madison. Miss: Little Nicky. But even the misses have their moments. That’s My Boy, the latest from Happy Madison studios, has just enough funny moments to makes up for the missing ‘je ne sais quoi’ that will keep this from being a hit comedy.
Then again, am I being too analytical here? That’s My Boy, which co-stars Andy Samberg as the ‘straight man’, follows any basic Adam Sandler movie formula: insane premise + old ladies in sexual context = leads to wacky endings.
This comedy also comes with lots of bonus SNL cast member appearances, and a few genuine laugh out loud moments that serve to remind me why I love Adam Sandler sometimes. Check out the trailer, and my quick review (with minimal spoilers) after the jump!
That’s My Boy is about a young student named Donnie (Adam Sandler) who has an affair with his smoking hot teacher, and unfortunately impregnates her just before she’s sent to jail for her crime. While Donnie enjoys a young life of super studhood stardom for banging his teacher, he is also left in custody of the baby – who he names Hans Solo.
Skip ahead 30 years or so, and Donnie is broke and in dire need of money to pay back taxes. Desperate, he convinces a talk show to pay him $50,000 to orchestrate a reunion between himself, his ex-teacher/lover, and his son. However his estranged son, played by Andy Samberg, wants nothing to do with his neglectful, incompetent father. Enjoying a successful job and preparing for his wedding, he’s told everyone that his parents are dead and even changed his name to Todd to avoid being tracked down.
Of course, wacky playboy party guy Donnie shows up on his doorstep the weekend of his wedding, and Todd is forced to pretend that Donnie is merely his best friend. Notable supporting cast members include Leighton Meister (who I was CERTAIN was Danica McKellar! You know, Winnie from The Wonder Years?) and Vanilla Ice (yup; and he’s about as awkward as P. Diddy in Get Him to the Greek). But I was thrilled to see Will Forte, Rachel Drach and Colin Quinn… Susan Sarandon was also a fantastic choice for the older version of the hot teacher.
Despite the fact that Donnie nearly ruins his life, Todd comes to appreciate his Dad and eventually embraces his liberal lifestyle for himself… and guess what? It lands him Ciara. I really can’t say much about this movie without either giving away a majorly funny moment, or hashing out a pitifully weak (but typically Adam Sandler) plot line.
Essentially, you can expect incest, random shot gun blasts, pocket beer, excessive masturbation, safety underwear, oh and did I mention old ladies in sexual situations? It all adds up to a classic Adam Sandler comedy that falls somewhere around The Waterboy mark.
If you check it out, I’d love to know if anything in particular made you burst out laughing… no spoilers, let’s see what you come up with 😉
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