By Kristen Brandt, Asst. Art Director
“Just Go With It” opened Feb. 11 and can be seen in theaters everywhere, but is it worth the nine bucks? The film is actually a remake of Oscar-winning “Cactus Flower” from 1969, but I don’t think Adam Sandler will be walking away with any awards for his take on the movie.
It’s a PG-13 movie, so if you’re expecting some raunchy comedy you won’t find much. Adam Sandler plays a womanizing plastic surgeon, with the help of his office assistant played by Jennifer Aniston. The two have good chemistry, but the whole plot and ending is pretty obvious within the first 10 minutes.
Sandler’s character realizes that wearing a wedding ring is the easiest way to pick up chicks, but this gets him into a huge web of lies when he meets his “true love,” played by upcoming actress and model Brooklyn Decker. After spending one night with Decker, Sandler realizes he’s ready to leave his old ways behind, but not before Decker realizes he’s hiding a wedding band in his pocket. Sandler explains he’s in the middle of a divorce and that’s how Aniston gets pulled into the mix, accidently getting her kids involved as well.
The plot moves quickly and feels very rushed, but that’s not all that brings the movie down. The connection between Sandler and Decker comes off as awkward and fake. Sandler is getting a little old to pull off the womanizing act, and their relationship develops way too fast. The jokes are forced and seem to get dragged out longer than needed. Another detail that throws this train off the tracks is the product placement everywhere. The movie is practically one big commercial.
Despite all of this, the movie isn’t all bad, compared to Sandler’s most recent films. Remember “Don’t Mess with the Zohan” or “Grown-Ups?” I wish I didn’t.
Some things that helped are appearances from Nicole Kidman and Nick Swardson. Swardson knows how to make audiences laugh and actually pulls off the ridiculous accent without it seeming forced. Another thing I enjoyed was the snowball of lies getting bigger and bigger. It’s always fun waiting for the inevitable train wreck at the end.
The best part of this movie was the connection between Sandler and Aniston. You can see they have a real friendship and appreciation for each other and it helps you overlook most of the film’s downfalls.
Overall, I say this movie isn’t worth the ticket prices at the box office, but it’s not something you should completely write-off, either. It’s the kind of movie you watch with your family. Wait for it to come out to rent, though. You won’t miss anything if you don’t see it in the theater.
