The Do-Over (2016) | Film Review

The fallen comedian has cemented itself as a cliché. Every comedian that experiences a viral surge in popularity will, at some point, come crashing down to Earth. Some go with a gradual fade from grace, ala Eddie Murphy, and others with the force of a meteor crash (what’s up, Dane Cook?). All it takes is a few missteps and box office blunders to ensure our once favorite comedian will assuredly join up with some crappy ABC sitcom in the very near future.

Adam Sandler gets a ton of grief from critics and audiences alike, much of it greatly warranted. For all that vitriol, he has magically managed to avoid obscurity. Sure, some people will tell you that he’s already a has-been, he’s that clichéd fallen comedian I was talking about. Except that he hasn’t yet, not even close. Sandler has once again taken charge of his destiny and with “The Do-Over” – 2 movies deep into his now-seemingly-genius 4-movie deal with Netflix – he continues to make the kind of movies only he wants to make. You say he’s fallen, I say he’s a brilliant master of his own brand.

“The Do-Over” stars Sandler as Max, an ass-kicking mystery of a character who reunites with his best friend Charlie (David Spade) at their High School reunion. When both men realize life is not working out as planned, Max takes it upon himself to fake their deaths and begin anew. At this point in the description, this is standard buddies-on-the-run fare, but Sandler ‘The Brand’ has more to say. Toss in a few hitmen out for blood as they mistake Max and Charlie as the dead guys they’re impersonating, a gorgeous widow (Paula Patton) who against all known laws of physics flirts with an attraction to Charlie, and a threesome-loving, ball-dropping cameo by Luiz Guzman and BAM! You’ve got yourself an Adam Sandler flick.

I’ll be the first to admit it, outside of the “Hotel Transylvania” films, Sandler hasn’t made a genuinely good film in a very long time. Not that any of his movies are striving for greatness or Oscar gold, but his ‘Brand’ hasn’t been hitting the marks it used to way back in the “Big Daddy” and “Happy Gilmore” days. It’s just been a series of low-rent cash-outs that resulted in wonderful vacations for Sandler and friends, but not a whole lot for the audience.

I can honestly say, with utter shock-and-awe, “The Do-Over” reminded me why I used to adore the man-child that lives inside of Adam Sandler. His Max isn’t an idiotic character or human baboon, he’s Sandler doing what I love to see him do – Sarcastic observations, random outbursts, and humor that borders on offensive and strives for tasteless. He even gets a few moments to shine as a man-of-action (a role he surprisingly fills fairly well) as Charlie and Max are repeatedly assaulted while trying to piece together what the hell is going on.

Even David Spade, a comedian who continues to work solely because he counts Sandler as a pal, comes across as relatable and engaging, as he drops the sardonic jackass he typically plays and elects to give an actual character a go. Charlie is a failure at just about everything, and even though he’s too scared to admit it, he needs this do-over more than anyone. Much like David Spade.

As a filmmaker and an actor, Sandler has never had a desire to make groundbreaking or articulate comedies, he just wants to be an idiot and make people laugh. Netflix has afforded Adam Sandler the opportunity to continue his ‘Brand’ while no longer needing to freak out about box office numbers or critical reception (which has never been good). It seems like this is a sweet mix for him, getting back to basics and making the Adam Sandler movies people want to see and taking a few more chances with his own brand. Both this film and Sandler’s career seem to have converged into the very definition of a do-over.