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Starring |
Adam Sandler
,
Kevin James
,
Chris Rock
,
Rob Schneider
,
David Spade
,
Salma Hayek
,
Maria Bello
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Directed By |
Dennis Dugan
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Audio
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DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
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Visuals
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16:9 Widescreen
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Running Time |
102 mins
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UK Release Date |
January 17, 2011
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Genre |
Comedy
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Our Rating |
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User Rating |
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Adam Sandler is a perfect example of how to play Hollywood with only so much talent. A standout performer on Saturday Night Live, Sandler went on to conquer Tinsel Town with a prolific acting career and a production company that’s bagged him millions. And does he care if each and every project is meticulously planned and made to the highest of standards? Does he bollocks...
The film follows the antics of a group of childhood friends (Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider and David Spade) who reunite at the funeral of their old basketball coach, who took them to the championships and to victory over 30 years ago. Though their lives have followed different paths, the old friends soon regress to the age of tomfoolery and mockery, though things get serious when a few bitter locals challenge the former town champions to a belated basketball rematch.
Grown Ups is as lazy as it gets for Sandler and director Dennis Dugan (the same team that brought you the likes of Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry).
This is merely a holiday for Sandler and his buddies, who all sluggishly go through the motions, deliver the odd one-liner (some funny, most not very) and cavort in the sunshine with their ridiculously hot wives (Sandler and Salma Hayek? Kevin James and Maria Bello??). There are a few laugh out loud moments (Chris Rock has a corker of a line about Idi Amin), but this is light and airy fluff and essentially a serious waste of a truly exceptional cast (the girls barely have anything to).
The Blu-ray is exceptional on the visuals front, with the bright and picturesque locales glowing in HD, while the picture is sharp, detailed and full of colour throughout. The dialogue, sound effects and music score are clear as day on the audio side of things, and there’s a healthy selection of bonus material on the disc, including a few giggles of the blooper/outtake variety.
Overall Verdict: Mildly enjoyable but ultimately lazy. Fans won’t have anything to grumble about when it comes to the Blu-ray though.
Special Features:
Commentary with director Dennis Dugan
Gag Reel
Blooper Reels
‘Dennis Dugan: Hands on Director’ Featurette
‘The Lost Tapes of Norm McDonald’ Featurette
‘The Cast of Grown Ups’ Featurette
‘Busey and the Monkey’ Featurette
Deleted Scenes
Outtakes
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths
