Plot: What’s it about?
Back in the 90’s through the mid 00’s, I was an Adam Sandler fan. Though I haven’t cared for a few of his more recent films, there are some that will always be on my shelf: Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, and Bulletproof to name a few. But to the film in question, I’m not really sure why I like this film as much as the others, but something about it makes me watch it about once a year. Maybe it’s when I saw it in the theater or who I saw it with or maybe that I just like a fairly good romantic comedy. Who knows? I can and will say that this isn’t your typical Adam Sandler movie and he does have a soft spot. Then again, maybe Drew Barrymore and Sandler were trying to recreate the chemistry that they had in 1998’s The Wedding Singer? Regardless, this was one of the first Blu-ray’s ever produced and it’s finally gotten the 4K attention it deserves.
Sandler plays Henry Roth, a veterinarian of sorts and evidently a man who can show a tourist a good time on the island of Hawaii (and in the bedroom). Henry’s glory days are starting to wane and what he wants more than anything is to find a nice girl to settle down with. And, wouldn’t you know it, he finds just that girl in Lucy (Drew Barrymore) whom he meets at a restaurant. The two share a perfect day, but as Henry learns the hard way – it isn’t meant to be. You see Lucy survived a bad car crash the year prior and now suffers from short term memory loss. When she awakens every morning , it’s like the a completely new day with all of her memories erased. Not many movies out have elements of Memento and Groundhog Day but this one manages to pull them together nicely. Henry, not wanting to give up, keeps pursuing her with varying degrees of success. However he hits a snag when Lucy’s father (Blake Clark) and brother (Sean Astin, sporting a buff physique and a lisp) get involved. Will Henry be able to help Lucy recover her memory or are they destined to never be together?
50 First Dates is a smart, fun and somewhat intriguing movie. I will say that it doesn’t follow all the pratfalls of a typical romantic comedy. For those wondering, yes Sandler’s sidekick Rob Schneider is in this and has his token share of lines. Nothing against Schneider, but honestly where would this guy be if not for the success of his buddy? Nevertheless, Sandler is going in a different direction than he did about a decade ago and it’s for the better. His more “family friendly” films seem to do well at the box office and I neglected to mention his recent Bedtime Stories as one of his better films. Call me kooky or old-fashioned, but I’m a sucker for a good story and a little chuckle along the way. For those who haven’t seen it 50 First Dates might just be what the doctor ordered.
Video: How does it look?
Looking at the first slew of Blu-ray releases from 2006, this is one of those that made the cut. Yes, folks, an Adam Sandler movie was one of the first Blu-ray’s ever produced. That said, we flash forward two decades and we’ve now got the movie with a new 4K restoration. Given that the movie takes place in Hawaii, we get plenty of shots of crystal blue water, azure skies and even the wardrobes seem to emit a vast array of colors. In short, it looks simply stunning on a 4K TV. Everything that plagued the original Blu-ray release has been fixed, and we no longer have the MPEG-2 transfer, rather a nice, picture perfect 2.40:1 HEVC 4K image that gets the job done. It dazzles.
Audio: How does it sound?
We also get a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack (that replaces the previous PCM track). Dialogue is at the heart of this film and I found nothing wrong with the way it sounded. Surrounds are a bit underused, but again – this film isn’t trying to win any awards when it comes to dynamic audio. There’s a bit more depth to this soundtrack and the overall ambiance is pleasing, but given the film’s genre, it’s nothing that’ll shake the walls. Nevertheless, it’s an improvement.
Supplements: What are the extras?
No new features have been included, though it appears as if the original slew of supplements from the DVD (not the Blu-ray) are all included here. So, we get more, but…it’s all things that have been around since 2004.
- Audio Commentary – We start off with the audio commentary by director Peter Segal, Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Barrymore is somewhat of a silent partner as Sandler and Segal (long time cohorts) dominate the track. I enjoyed this commentary and it only added to my allure of the film.
- The Dating Scene: The Making of 50 First Dates – This behind-the-scenes footage piece features the cast speaking about their experiences on the set and on location as well as how the movie was contrived.
- Talkin’ Pidgin’ – This small featurette “Talkin’ Pidgin” is evidently Hawaiian slang. Now you know.
- Comedy Central “Reel Comedy” Special – This half-hour promotional behind-the-scenes special aired in 2004 to coincide with the film’s theatrical release. It was hosted by Ula (the character played by Sandler co-hort Rob Schneider). Enjoy.
- HBO First Look – Another short, behind-the-scenes documentary that originally aired on HBO to promote the movie. It features exclusive interviews with stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, as well as director Peter Segal.
- Blooper Reel – I think we all know what to expect with this…
- Deleted Scenes – Available with commentary we find an alternate ending set in Seattle, an extended sequence of Lucy living her best club life, and various outtakes.
- Music Videos
- “Hold Me Now” by Wayne Wonder
- “Amber” by 311 (Live Performance)
- “Love Song” by 311
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
This is a perfectly fine and enjoyable movie to watch. I’ve never really been able to get past the ending (and I won’t spoil it in case you’ve not seen it), but it’s one of Sandler’s last, good films from the 00’s. This 4K edition brings back a lot of supplements from the DVD and the uptick in audio and video quality make it a worthwhile purchase if you’re a fan.
