Grown Ups 2, 2013.
Directed by Dennis Dugan.
Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Nick Swardson, Salma Hayek, and Steve Austin.
SYNOPSIS:
After moving his family back to his hometown to be with his friends and their kids, Lenny finds out that between old bullies, new bullies, schizo bus drivers, drunk cops on skis, and 400 costumed party crashers sometimes crazy follows you.
Adam Sandler has been making movies for 20 + years now and has yet to make a sequel. The first time he decides to make a sequel it’s a sequel to Grown Ups, one of the worst movies he’s made. Because obviously Grown Ups wasn’t bad enough and we needed another one to answer all those burning questions left over from the first movie. Despite there being no need for a sequel is it possible that Sandler and his buddies could actually make a competent comedy with this follow-up? That would be a definite no.
The one thing I can give the first movie a little credit for is it at least had a sliver of a story going on throughout. Part two however has literally no storyline at all. If I had to describe what the movie is about, Lenny (Adam Sandler) and his family move back to his hometown after being a big shot in Hollywood. His kids go to school, he hangs out with his friends (Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade) and hilarity is supposed to ensue. That really is the only way I could describe the story here. Sounds incredibly interesting doesn’t it?
Having no story isn’t even the biggest problem with the movie – the biggest problem is that it’s just flat out not funny at all. I actually like the majority of the cast here too but all of them together with horrible material to work with is just agonizing to watch. The main thing I want to get out of a comedy is for it to be funny and when it fails to do that added with there being nothing of interest going on the entire time it’s hard to enjoy. Obviously this isn’t the kind of movie that’s trying to be Oscar caliber or anything like that but that doesn’t mean it needs to be devoid of anything that would give the audience any kind of satisfaction.
It’s a shame Sandler continues to make movies like this because he actually can be funny and act when he wants to. The problem is that he never wants to and keeps making what makes money. The last few movies that Sandler has made, including this one, just feels like him and all of his friends getting together and they decide to shoot a movie during the process. Which would make sense as to why there is no plot, a script written by a five year old and no sense of entertainment whatsoever.
Growns Ups 2 somehow manages to be worse than the first movie. Providing no story, no jokes and an ever ending amount of cameos that add nothing to the movie make this one you should avoid at all costs.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ / Movie: ★
Jake Peffer
Originally published December 2, 2013. Updated April 11, 2018.
