Review No.185: That's My Boy

Plot: In 1984, 13 year old Donny Burger has an affair with his teacher which results in her getting arrested and also later having a child. The affair makes Donny a minor celebrity however his relationship with his son, who he names Han Solo, deteriorates over the years and the pair loose contact. In the present day Donny owes loads of money in back taxes and he is advised that the only way to get a large amount of money is to reunite his son with the mother he hasn't seen for years. Donny's son is now calling himself Todd Peterson and is doing well as an accountant while he is about to be married to the beautiful Jamie even though she treats him badly. Donny turns up on the weekend of Todd's wedding, posing as his oldest friend, and soon becomes his Best Man even though Todd realises that with his father around things will get out of control. Inevitably the pair bond over the weekend however with the reunion special looming will Donny tell Todd why he's really there or will he forgo getting the money in order to repair the relationship with his son.

Positives: There are two great cameos in the film with James Caan playing an incredibly violent Irish priest and Susan Sarandon as the older version of Todd's mother. I have to say I also found Vanilla Ice, who is now Donny's best friend, particularly amusing despite the fact he really can't act.

Negatives: This film is just distasteful from beginning to end starting as it does with statutory rape and ending with a couple of incest 'gags' David Caspe's script is truly terrible. Talking of truly terrible Adam Sandler once again portrays an over-the-top comic character by 'doing a voice' and hoping that will be enough to make him funny which it really isn't. I feel that Sandler, certainly when he plays these comedy roles, has now lost the humour he once had in Happy Gilmore and The Wedding Singer so should probably stick to more straight roles such as the one he played in Funny People. Sandler seemingly drags everyone down to his level namely Andy Samberg who as Todd has to play the straight man who is a complete wimp and another character that I failed to care for. Considering this is a comedy film there are very few actual laughs and this was probably the main problem with the film.

Verdict: Unfunny, distasteful with some really bad central performance I would recommend everyone steer clear of That's My Boy however I will at least award Caan and Sarandon for trying to raise the bar and give this 2/10

Review No.27: Jack and Jill

There is a saying how the mighty have fallen which decades ago didn't seem to apply to many actors because how could legends like Al Pacino and Robert De Niro fall that far? But come 2011 we see Raging Bull himself in ensemble romcom disaster New Year's Eve and then The Godfather fall even further by playing a romantic interest for Adam Sandler in a dress. Jack and Jill sees Sandler take both of the titular roles as twins the man who is an LA-based arrogant scriptwriter and partner in an ad agency while the latter is a nasally-voiced talkative woman who has lived in the Bronx all her life but who wants to be spend more time with her. The way the two are presented it is Jill who is the nightmare because she is so in your face while Jack is the rational one despite him spending a lot of time at work and not noticing that as he is married to Katie Holmes he can have sex with her as many times as he wants. When Jack discovers that Dunkin' Donuts want Al Pacino for a new commercial he decides to go after him in order to save his company. Predictably Pacino is drawn to the uncomplicated nature of Jill and wants to romance her despite her being completely disinterested in her and the whole thing comes to a head when Jack tries to whore his sister to the actor in order for him to seal the deal.

There is an interesting film somewhere in Jack and Jill featuring a once great actor who is torn between starring in theatre or selling out to do a commercial. In fact Pacino's career has been on a large downward spiral for years and this sort of Curb Your Enthusiasm type vehicle would be something to get more public interest in him. However Pacino, the best thing about the movie, is simply a subplot and a way for Jack to realise how much he needs Jill and how horrible he is to her. Jill really isn't that terrible she is just a bit annoying and the worst thing about her is the nasly New York twang which Sandler gives to her. Like most of his male characters Sandler's Jack is a man who puts his career before his family and has to go through a whole film to realise this. Poor old Katie Holmes meanwhile doesn't do much more than smile which probably is an accurate portrayal to her actual marriage to Tom Cruise. There's also no mention why the couple's adopted Indian child likes to cover himself in tape or why their Mexican gardener makes a lot of inappropriate racist jokes. But the biggest question is why Pacino agreed to appear in a bit part role in a film which could've be an interesting portrayal of his own fall from grace. In the last scene Pacino tells Jack to burn the whole thing and to be fair he could've given that advice to all those involved in this dreadful film.

Verdict: Al Pacino should be ashamed about being the best thing in this dreadful movie but at least earns it a more than deserved 2/10