Plot: What’s it about?
I’ve been a big fan of Adam Sandler since his days on SNL back in the early 90’s. He wasn’t the biggest star in the cast at the time, that honor fell to Chris Farley or even Mike Myers. Still, it can’t be argued that’s he’s enjoyed a very successful career in film since he left the show. His first two starring roles in “Billy Madison” and “Happy Gilmore” remain two of my favorite movies and they’re two that I watch at least once a year. Sandler then kind of moved out of the sophomoric comedy roles around the turn of the century and started focusing on more adult/family themed films. He even showed us that he can do something other than comedy in 2002’s “Punch Drunk Love.” Now I won’t say that Sandler is the greatest actor in the world – he isn’t. But he does have somewhat of an “everyman” quality that a lot of people can identify with. And to top it off, his movies keep making money. Lots of it. Looking at some of the grosses of his films, he really hasn’t had a bona fide flop since “Eight Crazy Nights.” And if you put aside some of his lesser-known roles in “Reign Over Me” and “Funny People”, every one of his films has grossed over $100 million at the box office. Impressive.
On the eve of his wedding, Danny Maccabee (Adam Sandler) finds out that his wife to be has been cheating on him. She’s also marrying him because he’s soon to be a doctor. This doesn’t sit well with Danny and the wedding never happens. Drowning his sorrows at a local bar, he meets an attractive woman who’s even more attracted to him when she sees his wedding ring. Danny quickly figures out that the illusion of being married merits far more sex than actually being married. Flash forward a couple of decades and Danny is now a successful plastic surgeon who’s still unmarried and still getting women left and right with the same tactic. It’s right about then that he meets Palmer (Brooklyn Decker), someone who he could actually see himself ending up with. However when Palmer finds his wedding ring in his pants, he’s got some explaining to do. Danny quickly concocts a story complete with wife and kids which Palmer wants to meet (to validate his story) and it’s not before long that his web of lies lands them in Hawaii with his assistant (Jennifer Aniston), her kids and her “lover.” Will Danny’s house of cards tumble ruining his chances with Palmer or might something else be in store for him?
Admittedly “Just Go With It” is a fairly predictable movie, but if you’re a fan of Adam Sandler films then you’ll no doubt be prepared for this. This is one of the few that Rob Schneider wasn’t in, but longtime co-hort Kevin Nealon does make a cameo (and a memorable one at that). I’ll admit that my attraction to this movie was based off the trailer in which we see Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker walking in super slow motion in a bikini. I mean, that’s a bit hard to resist – don’t you think? Still Decker is actually a fairly natural actress and pulls her part off in fine fashion. Jennifer Aniston also does well here and the chemistry between her and Sandler is certainly there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see these two in another film together. No, “Just Go With It” won’t be the best movie you see all year, but it’s a fun movie to watch, it’s got some genuine laughs and did I mention the slow-motion scene with Brooklyn Decker? I did. Well, just go with it…
Video: How does it look?
The film is presented in a 1.85:1 AVC HD transfer that epitomizes everything Blu-ray should stand for. This is a big budget ($80 million) film from a major studio and as such, we get a picture perfect transfer. Colors are bold and vibrant throughout with flesh tones appearing warm and natural. Contrast is spectacular as are the black levels. The azure skies give way to the stark white beaches of Hawaii (later on in the film) and I’m hard pressed to find anything wrong with the image except for a bit of softness in a few of the indoor scenes. I know I’ve mentioned this twice before, but if you just want to gawk at Brooklyn Decker in her yellow bikini then this transfer leaves very little to the imagination. A nice, solid effort here.
Audio: How does it sound?
While the DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack sounds good, it’s nothing that’s too memorable. The movie is a comedy and, as such, has more of a softer appeal to it. Yes, there are some “thumps” and “thuds”, but they’re so sparse that they really don’t make much of an impact. Dialogue sounds very clear, warm and natural throughout. The surrounds don’t really come into play as much as I’d liked, but they do offer a bit of support to this mainly front-heavy soundtrack. This is a good, solid mix that shouldn’t disappoint.
Supplements: What are the extras?
True fans of this film will be excited to see that this disc is loaded to the gills with supplements. We start out with two commentary tracks, the first with Adam Sandler, Nick Swardson (who plays “Dolph Lungren” in the film) and some of the filmmakers. There’s not a lot of substance here, mainly just them laughing at the movie and their jokes. More interesting is the commentary by director Dennis Dugan who has given some good tracks in the past. This one is a bit dry and Dugan takes some frequent pauses. Still, there’s history between him and Sandler so Dugan probably doesn’t have a lot to prove. Moving on we have sixteen deleted scenes which can be watched individually or all at once. We then have a slew of short, non-informative featurettes beginning with “Laughter is Contagious” which is more of an outtake reel than anything else. “The Perfect Couple” idolizes Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler and “Shooting in Hawaii” is about as literal as they come. “Dolph – Not the One From Rocky” has some footage with actor Nick Swardson and “Grand Wailea Promo” is just that – a promotional piece on the resort shown in the movie. “Adoni: Living Plastic” is a short segment on Kevin Nealon’s character who’s addicted to plastic surgery. “Along Came a Prop Guy” shows practical jokes that the crew plays on one another. “Decker’s Got Gas” shows the actress as she has downloaded a “fart” app on her phone to surprise Sandler in a scene. “Kevin Nealon: The Plastic Man” shows the makeup process involved in Nealon’s transformation. “What’s a Dugan” has some compliments for the director and “Look Who Else is in This Movie” focuses on some of the minor cameos in the movie (Rachel Dratch, Dan Patrick, etc.). “Sneaky Kiki and the Bart Water Fart” has interviews with the two younger stars of the film. “The Not So Perfect Couple” interviews Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews who both don’t really have a lot to say. “Decker’s First Role” was more interesting to me mainly because we get to see her in her bikini some more. Yes, I’m that shallow. Finally we have some previews for other Sony titles, the disc is also MovieIQ enhanced and BD-Live enabled as well. The second disc is a digital copy of the film for your portable device.
