“Click” (Columbia Pictures)
Adam Sandler stars in the new comedy/drama “Click.” This movie starts out as a sophomoric comedy and changes channels midway through the film as it becomes a Capra-esque study of the meaning of life. This jarring “clicking” of channels in the movie makes for an unsatisfactory effort on both the comedy and drama fronts.
Sandler plays Michael Newman, an architect with a beautiful wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale) and two adorable kids. The problem is Michael is a workaholic and is constantly being assigned more and more tasks by his inept boss John Ammer (David Hasselhoff). The more Michael does the more Ammer expects, even when it means Michael is missing vacations with his family.
One night Michael goes to the local “Bed, Bath and Beyond” to buy a universal remote control for his TV. Why he would expect to find this item at a “Bed, Bath and Beyond” is never explained. He actually does find it in the “Beyond” area. There he meets a scientist of sorts named Morty (Christopher Walken) who gives him a remote control device that does wonderful things.
When Michael gets the remote home he finds that he can pause, fast forward, replay, etc. his life. This gives him the ability to smack his boss around as well as do other gross things to him. He can also fast forward through his arguments with Donna. But eventually he begins to realize he is fast-forwarding through his life and can’t stop. That’s when the dramatic Capra-esque part of the movie kicks in.
The film does have a sweet message and it comes across loud and clear – family is first. But somehow the telling of the story is dry and repetitive. You never feel you get to know any character in the film except Michael. Beckinsale is totally wasted as Donna. She is not an equal partner in the marriage and is only a sideline character as the story progresses.
Sean Astin has a brief appearance as a supportive swim coach for Michael’s son, and eventually a love interest for Donna. Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner make cameo appearances as Michael’s parents. David Hasselhoff is seen too much as Ammer while Jennifer Coolidge has only two or three scenes as Donna’s best friend.
Walken is a welcome sight each time he appears onscreen as the magical scientist Morty. His scenes with Michael are the best in the movie.
Sandler has become a better and better actor as he has shown in movies such as “Fifty First Dates,” “Spanglish,” and “Punch Drunk Love.” His acting is fine here but his comedy has reversed back to juvenile and gross. And in this film the language and the grossness are totally not necessary. They do earn the film a PG-13 rating which is pretty lenient.
“Click” is a step back for Sandler’s progression toward more mature movies. It isn’t overly funny and it isn’t consistently dramatic. It is just a little of both smashed together and it doesn’t work. In the end “Click” is just a clunker of a movie.
I scored “Click” a paused 4 out of 10.
