Grown Ups: An Adam Sandler Escapade
The Grown Ups series, comprising Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, might not be Adam Sandler’s magnum opus, but like many of his comedies, it magnifies and beautifies life’s trivialities, presenting them through Sandler’s unique lens. His more recent comedies lean towards slice-of-life narratives, amplifying specific aspects of life and infusing them with his personal understanding.
Sandler’s Grown Ups exemplifies this approach. While it lacks the fantastical elements of Click or the narrative focus of 50 First Dates, it resembles Sandler’s version of The Hangover: a celebration of pure bromance, seasoned with his signature raunchy humor.
Inevitably, many critics pan Grown Ups and its sequel. The films, admittedly, are imperfect, with half-baked stories, awkward humor, and somewhat forced jokes. Some may even complain about wasting two hours watching middle-aged men indulging in self-aggrandizement. However, for Sandler’s fans, it’s simply Adam Sandler being Adam Sandler.
The Grown Ups series feels like Sandler and his buddies carved out time from their busy lives to orchestrate a weekend getaway for nerds, ordinary dads, and out-of-touch middle-aged men. This party, overdue by two decades, evolves into a “family gathering” due to the presence of wives and children. While ostensibly aimed at a broad audience, the essence of the film resonates most with those middle-aged men planning the party.
The Simplicity of Male Bonding
The film inevitably features some “men will be men” content, including attractive young women. This element represents a timeless male aesthetic and hints that even responsible adults retain their inner child-like, mischievous selves. Besides women, a significant portion of the conversation revolves around the simple pleasures of being a guy: climbing trees, swinging on swings, swimming in ponds. Sandler incorporates these elements into his films.
Some viewers may find these moments awkward or dull due to their weak cinematic impact. However, for many men, happiness is indeed this simple.
This explains why some fans remain loyal to Sandler, even though constantly delivering playful comedy series, people have different opinions. Some find it dull to watch Adam’s comedies, others reminisce about their childhood, the friends from that period or the status quo from their current life, they felt the production as not great but still delivers them a special experince.
Therefore, the Grown Ups series exists. The initial impression might be indifference, but one day, when we’re all grown up and reminiscing about our past, our childhood, and our friends, we might realize that the film isn’t as bad as we thought. movie poster