Yes, I know, I'm surprised too. Adam Sandler has been delivering one horrible movie after another lately, but That's My Boy is actually pretty damn funny. It hearkens back to the days of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, when Sandler made comedies people liked. Like so many other of his comedies, this won't be for everyone. This is a raunchy, immature, foul mouthed film, and anyone turned off by this kind of comedy will certainly hate this film. But if that's your thing, and I do like my raunchy comedy every now and then, then you'll most likely find this hilarious.
The story is somewhat original for a comedy of this type, and that helps with said comedy. Sandler plays Donny, who, in his teens, has sex with one of his teachers. She gets pregnant, goes to jail, and Donny ends up raising the kid himself. Years later, the kid, now named Todd (Samberg), is a wealthy hedge fun manager about to be married. When Donny needs to get money to pay taxes so he can stay out of jail, he tries to reconnect with Todd and hijinks ensue.
As I said, the film is raunchy and immature. When it isn't making you laugh, it's leaving your jaw on the floor. Not to say that things here are surprising, but some of this stuff is pretty out there. I won't spoil any surprises, but even when you expect something, you might be a little taken by the fact that they did, in fact, go there. Performances are fairly solid. Sandler is in top comedic form here as he once again proves he's mastered the Man-Child form of comedy. And, as you would suspect, he's really a decent guy here with his heart in the right place. He has a buffoon's charm, and it plays well off the other characters. Samberg leaves a bit more to be desired. Also usually a goofy guy, here he plays it mostly straight, if awkward. While the two comedians work well with each other, Sandler steals most of the show, instead of sharing the spotlight with Samberg. However, the chemistry is there, and they play a fairly convincing father-son duo.
Of course, the film isn't the perfect comedy, and in an age where slapstick and raunchy comedy have taken a slightly different form, this feels a bit like an antique. That isn't to say it isn't funny, it is, but the film somehow seems more like an exception. There's also nothing terribly surprising here. The film is fairly predictable. Even Sandler's character has nothing new to offer. He's a likable guy, but we've seen him before in so many other Sandler roles. The film also takes massive leaps in reality. I rolled my eyes numerous times on several plot points. While the plot is certainly more original than you'd expect, it takes liberties with it's reality and they seem like nothing more than setups for jokes. Luckily the jokes are funny.
This certainly isn't the best Sandler comedy, and it's far from the worst. Most of all, it's surprisingly funny and I had a good time with it. If you're looking for a good comedy to go see and enjoy the raunch and immaturity of Adam Sandler comedies, I think you will find this quite entertaining.
The story is somewhat original for a comedy of this type, and that helps with said comedy. Sandler plays Donny, who, in his teens, has sex with one of his teachers. She gets pregnant, goes to jail, and Donny ends up raising the kid himself. Years later, the kid, now named Todd (Samberg), is a wealthy hedge fun manager about to be married. When Donny needs to get money to pay taxes so he can stay out of jail, he tries to reconnect with Todd and hijinks ensue.
As I said, the film is raunchy and immature. When it isn't making you laugh, it's leaving your jaw on the floor. Not to say that things here are surprising, but some of this stuff is pretty out there. I won't spoil any surprises, but even when you expect something, you might be a little taken by the fact that they did, in fact, go there. Performances are fairly solid. Sandler is in top comedic form here as he once again proves he's mastered the Man-Child form of comedy. And, as you would suspect, he's really a decent guy here with his heart in the right place. He has a buffoon's charm, and it plays well off the other characters. Samberg leaves a bit more to be desired. Also usually a goofy guy, here he plays it mostly straight, if awkward. While the two comedians work well with each other, Sandler steals most of the show, instead of sharing the spotlight with Samberg. However, the chemistry is there, and they play a fairly convincing father-son duo.
Of course, the film isn't the perfect comedy, and in an age where slapstick and raunchy comedy have taken a slightly different form, this feels a bit like an antique. That isn't to say it isn't funny, it is, but the film somehow seems more like an exception. There's also nothing terribly surprising here. The film is fairly predictable. Even Sandler's character has nothing new to offer. He's a likable guy, but we've seen him before in so many other Sandler roles. The film also takes massive leaps in reality. I rolled my eyes numerous times on several plot points. While the plot is certainly more original than you'd expect, it takes liberties with it's reality and they seem like nothing more than setups for jokes. Luckily the jokes are funny.
This certainly isn't the best Sandler comedy, and it's far from the worst. Most of all, it's surprisingly funny and I had a good time with it. If you're looking for a good comedy to go see and enjoy the raunch and immaturity of Adam Sandler comedies, I think you will find this quite entertaining.