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Just Go With It

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1_Chicks_Small  Judy Thorburn

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Women's Film Critic Circle - www.wfcc.wordpress.com
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Just Go With It
Hey, Adam Sandler, heed this advice. Stop making juvenile, offensive comedies. Enough already. Without going through your movie resume, most of your films have been dreadful. Last years Grownups was one of your worst and your latest venture, this awful romantic comedy, Just Go With It isn't much better. A more fitting title would have been Anything Goes, since this mess is all over the place.

As for your co-star Jennifer Anniston, You too need to get on the ball and make a better career move, and that means stop picking the wrong scripts, one silly romantic comedy after another, and show us some range, which we know you have. More specific, your dramatic turn in The Good Girl was a revelation which we haven't seen a glimpse of since. That's the kind of meaty role you once again need to sink your teeth into. My advice to you is maybe you need to fire your manager and/or agent, if they are to blame for the choices you have made.

Now that I got that of my system, let me get on with my review of Just Go With It. Everything about this movie is stupid and ridiculous beginning with a sexist premise that is an insult to women.

Under the direction of his Grownups collaborator Dennis Dugan, Adam Sandler plays middle aged Danny Maccabee, a successful, rich Los Angeles plastic surgeon and single guy who pretends to be an unhappily married man in order to attract hot women. But, his ruse hits a snag when he finds himself falling for Palmer (model turned actress Brooklyn Decker), a curvy 23 year old blonde elementary school teacher, young enough to be his daughter, who refuses to get involved with a married man. Danny is so desperate to impress her and prove that he is on the verge of getting a divorce, that he convinces his long time nurse/assistant Katherine (Anniston) a divorcee and her two children (Bailee Madison and Griffin Gluck) to pose as his estranged wife and kids.

Everything comes with a price and in this case, because Danny thinks Katherine needs a makeover, he takes her on a very expensive shopping spree for sexy new clothes and shoes and a visit to a hair salon. The kids, on the other hand are a couple of overly precocious, manipulating, smart alecks that spew out wise ass dialogue you only hear from children in movies. As such, they refuse to go along with his lying scheme unless they get something back in return. Katherine's daughter, who loves to talk with a British accent (too much that it becomes annoying) dreams of being an actress and wants Danny to pay for acting classes, while her younger, six year old brother wants a trip to Hawaii to swim with the dolphins.

That's a lead in for the whole gang to head to Hawaii where they partake in some bonding, with Danny's irritating cousin Eddie (Nick Swardson) joining up as Katherine's fake suitor, putting on an even worse German accent.

How contrived does it get? Katherine's high school frenemy, Devlin, played by Nicole Kidman, just happens to be vacationing with her husband, Ian (musician/actor, Dave Matthews) at the very same Hawaiian resort. How convenient that the ladies bump into each other causing a continuation of their competitive rivalry and a chance to compete in a hula competition. Why Kidman would sign on for such an embarrassing, unfunny role is beyond me, unless Sandler is a good friend and she owed him a favor. Speaking of favors, Sandler throws in some cameos for his old SNL buddies Rachel Dratch and Kevin Nealon portraying victims of botched plastic surgery. Their scenes are early in the movie and the sight of them is truly the only hilarious moments of the entire film. Oh yes, reality star Heidi Montag is seen briefly at a party as a busty bimbo. Blink and you will miss her, not that it is a loss.

Unless you have never seen a romantic comedy, Just Go With It follows the usual, predictable formula so you know where it is going. There is no question as to who Danny will wind up with, as if we didn't already know. We've been through this road countless times and yet nothing new has been added as a surprise.

Just Go With has been rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual content, partial nudity and brief drug references.

You've been forewarned. Don't go with it. Save your money and stay away from this dud.