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Movie Preview: Adam Sandler and Chris Rock in Grown Ups

BuzzSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:30:36 -0800

I've been watching over the past several months as the cast roster for Grown Ups continued to add more of Adam Sandler's previous SNL colleagues and close friends - Tim Meadows, Maya Rudolph, Colin Quinn. It's like he decided to make a project where he could invite everyone he knows to jump on board and have fun. And the cast really does appear to be having a good time in the trailer - I'm just not 100 percent sure I'm right there with them.

The film follows Sandler and his childhood friends (Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, David Spade) as they reunite one Fourth of July weekend to honor the death of their basketball coach. Sounds kinda like The Big Chill, but as to be expected with a Happy Madison film, it's ridiculously slapstick. I love all of these guys, but the bits in this teaser definitely aren't as roll-on-the-floor funny as I had hoped with such a star-studded cast. (Really, a breast-milk joke?!) But maybe I'm just judging it too quickly. The film opens in June, but take a peek at the video and tell me your thoughts when you read more.

Adam Sandler Is Going to Fetch a Pail of Water?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:30:32 -0700

Well, I guess Adam Sandler is ready to go back to his old tricks after playing it straight in Funny People: the actor has signed on to play both Jack and Jill in the upcoming romantic comedy called - you guessed it - Jack and Jill. The movie will be produced by Sandler's company, Happy Madison.

The image of Adam Sandler as a woman is already giving me a bad taste in my mouth about this project. I love Sandler and his wacky sense of humor, but playing a pair of siblings sounds too immature even for him. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that he's not veering towards a career like Eddie Murphy's. What about you guys - are you excited to see Sandler in drag or is he getting too old for this stuff?

Do, Dump, or Marry? Adam Sandler

TresSugar — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:30:00 -0700

Funny person Adam Sandler is trying on a more serious role in Funny People, which comes out this weekend. From his stint on Saturday Night Live to his string of hit movies after, Adam has always had a well-received and one-of-a-kind brand of comedy. But I want to know - do you find him sexy?

PopSugar Rush Reviews Funny People, TwiCon in Full Effect, and Barhop to Starbucks?

PopSugar — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 09:45:00 -0700

Happy Friday! Welcome to the weekend edition of PopSugar Rush! Today Molly gives her 10-second review of Funny People - read Buzz's more in-depth one here. Also, get a peek at what's going down at Twi-Con this weekend and some fun news about same-sex penguins and Starbucks getting boozy. Plus, check out our first edition of Guess-Who Rush, the new video version of our popular Guess-Who feature on Pop. Watch it now!

PopSugar Rush Reviews Funny People, TwiCon in Full Effect, and Bar Hop to Starbucks?

PopSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Happy Friday! Welcome to the weekend edition of PopSugar Rush! Today Molly gives her 10-second review of Funny People - read Buzz's more in-depth one here. Also, get a peek at what's going down at TwiCon this weekend and some fun news about same-sex penguins and Starbucks getting boozy. Plus, check out our first edition of Guess Who Rush, the new video version of our popular Guess Who feature on Pop. Watch it now!

PopSugar Rush Reviews Funny People, TwiCon in Full Effect, and Barhop to Starbucks??

PopSugarTV — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:25:00 -0700

Hear our thoughts on Funny People before heading to the movie theater this weekend, find out what Twihards are doing at their big convention, and what Starbucks has planned for its drink menu.

Funny People: Apatow Almost Gets It Right

PopSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 09:30:01 -0700

Before we get right into my thoughts on Funny People, let me preface by saying that I loved Judd Apatow’s first two films, The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. I would count both among the best comedies to hit Hollywood in the past few years, and I had full faith that he would hit another home run with his third directorial stint. I understand that he was ready to try something new and a get a little more serious, but looking back at his first two achievements I have to wonder: when the formula works so well, why mess with it?

Adam Sandler stars as George Simmons, a middle-aged comedian who's found fame and fortune thanks to a movie career filled with silly, Eddie Murphy-esque characters. His house is a palace, but George's selfish behavior has pushed away all of his friends and family. This leaves most of his social interactions with his personal staff, female conquests, and his fans. When George learns that he’s dying from a blood disorder, he decides to go back to his roots in standup comedy while taking on aspiring comedian Ira Wright (Seth Rogen) as his assistant. As George assesses what could be the end of a lonely life, Ira slowly becomes his closest friend and sidekick.

That's just the beginning, so to see what I thought of the film, just read more.

While George isn’t exactly the most likable character around, Adam Sandler does a great job of capturing his moody (and often downright mean) personality. The role is perfect for Sandler as it gives him a chance to shine as the effortlessly funny comedian we all know and love, but at the same time deliver a strong performance as an ailing man who is trying to change his life in the 11th hour.

Seth Rogen is equally impressive and perfect as innocent, puppy dog Ira. Rogen's no stranger to playing the everyman kinda guy, but this is the first time I feel like he's playing a role with no hint of sarcasm or arrogance. Ira could easily be mistaken for another lovable loser, but Seth shows that he’s so much more than that. There’s also something endearing about seeing Ira’s wide-eyed enthusiasm juxtaposed with George’s apathetic nature as they face the world of standup comedy as a team.

Beyond Sandler and Rogen, the film’s supporting cast provides a lot of life (and many of the laughs) to the story. Leslie Mann really brings out Adam’s sweeter side as Laura, George's "one that got away," and Eric Bana gets a rare chance to show his comedic chops as her bread-winning husband. Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman round out the group as Ira’s quirky and witty roommates. As an added bonus, Apatow and Mann’s daughters, Maude and Iris, are adorable as Laura’s kids.

As promised in the title, Funny People delivers jokes, and plenty of them. Granted, more than half of them are about the male anatomy and another large percentage are directed at Seth Rogen’s weight loss, but they're still there. The problem is that the laughs aren't free. George’s illness creates a dark cloud that hangs over the story, even when he learns that he has a good chance of pulling through. Apatow has your heart in his hands because everyone in the audience knows that there's a potential death scene lurking around every corner.

The movie has a lot of depressing moments, but what's even sadder is that the biggest takeaway of the film is the length. At over two and a half hours, the movie drags and is entirely too long. Apatow wanted to take his time to make his point, but by the end he had lost me and I just didn’t care that much about the film's final message.

Funny People has a lot to offer and isn’t terrible by any means, but it is hands-down my least favorite of Apatow's three films. I'd still give him golf claps, but there just isn't enough to earn a standing ovation this time around.

Photos courtesy of Universal Pictures

Watch, Pass, TiVo or Rent: Funny People

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 06:30:11 -0700

For Judd Apatow's third directorial feature film, Funny People, he has Seth Rogen starring as a fledgling comedian who looks up to the seasoned comedian/Hollywood actor, George Simmons (Adam Sandler). George learns that he has an untreatable blood disorder and that he has one year to live. He notices Ira's act one night and takes Ira under his wing - though it doesn't change the fact that George is a prickly, difficult guy. The movie explores the world of comedy and the quirky sort of mentor/mentee relationship that forms between a newbie performer and a guy who's "made it" - but at a cost. Leslie Mann also stars as George's "one that got away."

Will you venture out to the theaters for this one, wait for the DVD, catch it on TV someday, or skip it altogether?

Funny People Celebrate the Latest From Judd Apatow

PopSugar — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:30:16 -0700

A handful of Hollywood's most hilarious actors and actresses gathered together for the premiere of Funny People in LA last night. Eric Bana and Seth Rogen suited up while Adam Sandler kept to his casual style. Leslie Mann made a splash in her all-pink ensemble, but Rashida Jones looked equally gorgeous in muted tones - what lipstick shade do you like best on her? Director Judd Apatow had three dates for his big night, though his wife and daughters earned their tickets with roles in the film. On July 31, we'll get to check out the film, and it already seems like a home run with such an entertaining cast.

To see a lot more photos from the night, just read more.

View 55 Photos ›

Images include: Adam Sandler, Eric Bana, Rashida Jones, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Judd Apatow, Aziz Ansari, David Spade, Elizabeth Banks, Kyle Gass, Zachary Levi, Tom Green, Leslie Mann, Toni Collette

More SNL Alums Join Sandler's "Grown-Up" Comedy

BuzzSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 12:30:08 -0700

Adam Sandler's next movie is titled Grown Ups and follows a bunch of high school friends who reunite 30 years after graduation, but it also appears to be serving as a real-life reunion for a whole team of former Saturday Night Live performers. A few comedic actors were cast a while back, including Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider, and today there's talk of more coming on board. Tim Meadows is joining the cast, which now also features Maya Rudolph, Norm Macdonald, Colin Quinn and actor/SNL writer Tim Herlihy.

This should be interesting, to say the least. Some of these folks have been responsible for a few of your favorite SNL sketches, though I wonder if there are any other SNL veterans who could round out the cast even more. Steve Martin, Darrell Hammond, Amy Poehler, Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, Sheri Oteri?