Just Go With It is more than just a movie title, it’s advice for the audience. After 20 odd years of friendship between Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, the two stars have finally done a movie together! The delay could have due to the pair not being a natural on-screen match. On the other hand, perhaps Aniston was busy exhausting every other leading man option? She’s been blazing through films, racking up an impressive list of romantic co-leads and you could say… It was bound to happen someday.

Adam Sandler has also been through a number of films to the point that he’s typecast himself as a numb, sweet and ordinary family guy, and along the way he’s lost some of the verve that made him famous for movies like The Wedding Singer and Happy Gilmore. Sandler has proved he can act in straight roles for films like Punch Drunk Love and Reign On Me, yet he’s pursued the feel good brand of lightweight comedy romance that has made his production company, Happy Madison, what it is today. There’s no harm in creating a franchise, although something’s got to be said for losing the essence of its origins and basically “selling out”.

Adam Sandler has dissolved from being a quirky nice-sometimes-angry everyman into a less enthusiastic father figure. Just Go With It is a Sandler movie in essence, but he’s resorted to the safety of the sweet, indistinct character that has carried him through his last several movies. He’s recruited a Charlie’s Angels inspired task force for eye candy using Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker and Nicole Kidman to spice things up with Nick Swardson and Dave Matthews handling some of the off-the-wall comedy.

Are those your kids “playing” with the shark? Yep.

Just Go With It is a situational comedy, which centres on a deception involving a plastic surgeon (Sandler) and his loyal assistant (Aniston), who carry out an elaborate plan to cover up a careless lie and win the heart of an unassuming lady love (Decker). What starts as a harmless lie soon escalates when the troupe find themselves in Hawaii with his assistant still pretending to be ex-wife with munchkins in tow.

Jennifer Aniston gets a bikini stand-off with Brooklyn Decker and a hula contest with Nicole Kidman – in one of her more relaxed performances of late. Nick Swardson delivers the biggest laughs in yet another ridiculous, over-the-top performance reminiscent of South Africa’s very own Leon Schuster. Just Go With It invites you to do just that and creates enough fun situatons to keep you watching.

Sandler has essentially become the figurehead and puppet master of his movies, pulling the strings and dictating the story, feel good vibes and nostalgic soundtrack. It’s fast, it’s convenient and made for the people… A little like McDonald’s. We’re living in an age when escapism involves switching off rather than switching on, and this is true for many movie goers wanting a film to wash over rather than engage and challenge.

For this reason, Sandler’s films have their place, as do Big Macs. Family-centric, comedy fodder for the masses. It’s humorous, lightweight, nostalgic feel good fun, and what better way to relax and forget about the big bad world than by letting Adam Sandler douse you with an hour or two of his fluffy, forgettable and often funny dream stuff. Never mind the ethics behind using your assistant to cover-up one lie with many more… And deceiving the one you love.

“Brooklyn Decker, ladies and gentlemen!”

For what it’s worth, this Sandler movie is more charming than Funny People, Grown Ups and Bedtime Stories. There’s very little bubbling under the surface, making it an entertaining, sweet and harmless holiday ride. The cast look like they had fun making Just Go With It and that shines through, giving it enough room to be chilled, easy-going and sometimes silly.

The bottom line: Lightweight.

Release Date: 18 March, 2011
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