The Film
Just when you thought it was safe to defend Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston as talented A-listers, here comes Just Go With It.
The latest Happy Madison moneymaker is "loosely" based on the 1969 comedy Cactus Flower. Loosely is in quotes because the Walter Matthau/Goldie Hawn flick is enjoyable. This one? Not so much.
Sandler plays doofus (surprised?) doctor Danny who uses a fake wedding ring to face his commitment problem. That is, until uber-hottie Palmer (Brooklyn Decker) washes away all of those fears. Isn't it funny how that happens? Apparently not, especially when said stacked golden girl finds a wedding ring in Danny's pants pocket. To cover his lying tracks, he enlists frumpy, faithful assistant Katherine (Aniston) and her children to play his soon-to-be ex-family.
Apparently, the filmmakers didn't think that premise could fill a whole 116 minutes, so they pack up the crew and head to Hawaii. That's where a fair movie becomes a complete shitstorm. The hula competition is particularly embarrassing for everyone involved (even Dan Patrick!), but mostly for Aniston, Nicole Kidman and musician Dave Matthews. The Oscar-winning actress and the musican have brief, but horribly memorable roles, which includes an obvious stunt butt for her, and sadly, not one for him.
Other than that, there are poop jokes, *NSYNC flashbacks, and resuscitation of a sheep. Just Go With It? We highly recommend against that.
The Picture
Movies studios don't send Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston to Hawaii to make them look ugly. Stupid is a whole other story. That said, this 1.85:1 transfer looks very nice, with great colors throughout. Hawaii is apparently one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Black levels are also notably strong. When it comes to detail, there is plenty. However, the film wasn't as sharp as we were expecting given the talent roster, budget, and the fact that it's a recent release.
The Sound
Like most rom-coms, Just Go With It focuses heavily on dialogue. The DTS-HD Master Audio delivers that very well. There's also restaurant chatter, the atmosphere at J.D. McFunnigan's (it's as scary as it sounds!) and beachy backgrounds for the surrounds. The bulk of the surround audio, however, is filled by the film's soundtrack. If Sandler knows one thing, it's how to use music in his movies. Instead of going for his usual eclectic selection of crap-rock, there's a ton of classic music by The Police used in this film. Hooray for that.
The Extras
Sandler fans will appreciate the extra lovin' in the special features section. There are two commentaries to choose from, one of which has Sandler himself. Like the movie, the rest of what's here varies between cute and borderline ridiculous. There are deleted scenes, goofs, promo pieces about the location and actors, pointless gags, and a whole lot of costar Nick Swardson. A few of the extras also mention the film's many famous faces, which includes the surgically enhanced one of Heidi Montag. We wanted to mention that just in case you were having second thoughts about watching this movie.
Final Thoughts
Jennifer Aniston has been getting the poop-end of the stick for movie roles lately. Apparently, she knows how to Just Go With It. It's a shame too, because she does have some good chemistry with Sandler. Unfortunately, the duo just doesn't have a good script. Proceed at your own risk.
Product Details
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