Rating of
2/4
Movie Review of Jack and Jill
trophywife - wrote on 11/17/11
Generally speaking, any movie where the lead male character also plays the part of a woman is a really bad idea. With the exception of ‘Tootsie’ and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’, I stand by this statement EMPHATICALLY. I don’t think we need to look any further than the recent ‘Madea’ phenomenon--which, by the way, I am at a loss to understand--to prove this point. And let’s now give Adam Sandler a warm welcome as we add him to the list of contenders in ‘Jack and Jill’.
THE GOOD: The movie starts out with some promise as we meet several sets of twins who share their feelings of growing up with a double entity, with some of the comments being laugh out loud memorable. Then we segway into meeting Jack (Adam Sandler), a big time ad executive living with his wife (Katie Holmes) and their 2 children in a stunning Los Angeles mansion. His current biggest problem consists of trying to get Al Pacino to star in a Dunkin Donuts commercial….until the arrival of his twin sister Jill (also played by Sandler), which puts everything into perspective. Jill is, as you can imagine, not much of a looker, but top that off with a heavy Brooklyn accent, really bad clothes and makeup, and an obnoxiously loud voice, and you have---well, what you have is an episode of Jersey Shore, really---but more to the point, it’s a disastrous holiday visit that Jill is spending with Jack and his family. What starts out as a 2 day nightmare quickly escalates into what I’m sure Jack felt was FOREVER…..I know that’s how it began to feel for me personally after about 45 minutes. To be fair, there were some honestly funny moments, although they rarely came from the expected sources. It’s not that I dislike Adam Sandler, per se. But I don’t really buy into the mentality that something is funny just by virtue of him showing up for it. He had his moments here and there, but what really got my attention was the hilarious cameo by Johnny Depp---yes, you read that right, he is actually in this movie; believe me when I tell you that I will be covering THAT point in depth coming up. Not only was he eye candy as always, but he got one of the biggest laughs in the movie from me. Another pleasant and unexpected surprises was watching Al Pacino getting jiggy with it in a dance scene. How much they had to offer Don Michael Corleone to move like that is probably beyond mortal comprehension.
THE BAD: We have a lot to cover in this section, so let’s get started, shall we? First of all, I CANNOT comprehend how anyone managed to talk megastars like Depp and Pacino into appearing in this movie! Are they BFF’s with Sandler? Are they edging their way towards bankruptcy and need some spending cash? Have they decided that they are so well loved and respected as actors that no one will care if they appear in a stinker now and then? Please help me understand it. There were plenty of other cameos in the movie that I didn’t question AT ALL---for Jared from Subway, and Vince the ShamWow guy, this movie was probably the best they could hope for. Even David Spade, who was dressed up as a skanky woman probably felt like this was a high point. But Depp and Pacino?? Payment for something was being redeemed here somewhere, mark my words.
The other glaring problem with this movie was the “Adam Sandler in drag” thing. Yes, I realize it’s comedy and really, what makes an uglier woman than a man with a wig and spandex? It just felt too over the top, and, as much as the writers want you to see Jill as a good hearted, misunderstood, and underappreciated human being, all you can focus on is her lack of social etiquette and that grating whiney voice. And so yes, when Al Pacino not only takes notice of her but becomes obsessed with making her his one and only, it’s a tough sell.
Something tells me that if they had just cast a slightly homely woman to play the part, the believability factor would have skyrocketed, and it might even have been funnier.
THE UGLY: Although there’s certainly nothing enjoyable about seeing a beautiful man like Johnny Depp wearing a Justin Bieber t-shirt, the clear winner in this category goes to Jill for her first experience with eating Mexican food. Lots and lots of Mexican food. Please, don’t make me explain this nightmare to you in any greater detail.
This film clearly panders to anyone who thinks bodily functions and racial stereotyping are the hallmark of comedic greatness, so if you have a 10 year old boy living with you--or your husband just acts like one--by all means, make an evening of it. Otherwise, save it for a rental night when you are looking for some lowbrow humor--and the need to see Al Pacino bust a move.
The Trophy Wife gives this 2 ½ trophies.
Jack and Jill has a running time of 91 minutes and is rated PG for crude and sexual humor, language, comic violence and brief smoking
