All Rise...

Judge Eric Profancik is eagerly awaiting the franchise crossover wherein Kate Beckinsale blasts Adam Sandler with an Uzi...or at least she wears latex.

The Charge

What if you had a universal remote…that controlled your universe?

Opening Statement

"Way beyond."

We all know that Adam Sandler has made quite the booming career out of playing the man-child. I read quite a few articles on the topic this summer about him and his buddies Owen Wilson and Will Ferrell. Granted, it is a sad state of affairs when such lazy and dumb comedy is all the rage, but until the adolescent boys stop going to the theater and studios stop fixating on their disposable income, we just have to ignore it, embrace it, or hope that things will change. I think we're getting to the end of that cycle, but don't quote me on that.

I will admit that I do like Sandler. I think he's done some very funny stuff with The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore, and a few others. Like everyone else he's done some questionable movies, and I've ignored his turn at the drama. Sandler's niche is comedy, and it'll take a while for him to do a Robin Williams and become a serious thespian. With that, we turn to his latest comedic venture, Click. Just how much of a man-boy is he in this one? Is it another clunker like 50 First Dates or are there some true laughs this time around?

Facts of the Case

"I guess when you combine mass quantities of cough syrup with yodels you get acid."

Michael Newman (Sandler) has a beautiful wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale, Underworld), two wonderful kids, a lovable dog, and a good home. As good as that is, Michael's not around much because he's a workaholic focused on putting way too much time in at the office. He's an architect working for Mr. Ammer (David Hasselhoff, Knight Rider), and Ammer has made promises to Michael that his promotion to partner is right around the corner.

But the daily stress of life is getting to Michael, so much so that he can't even figure out which remote controls his television. One night, at wits end, he drives off to Bed, Bath, & Beyond to find a universal remote. Hidden in the back of the store is a door that leads to the workshop of a quirky man named Morty (Christopher Walken, A View to a Kill). Michael asks Morty if the store carries universal remotes, and it turns out that Morty has just received the latest and greatest, most technologically advanced remote not yet on the market. He gives it to Michael, whose life quickly and unexpectedly changes.

The remote truly is universal, as it can control everything in Michael's life. It can mute a TV or a person, fast forward a tape or fast forward traffic. Michael takes to his amazing new toy and his once-steady life spirals out of control. Can Michael use the remote to set things straight?

The Evidence

Let's cut to the chase and answer the most pressing question: Is this a funny movie? Yes, Click is a funny movie. You will laugh, and there are some hysterical moments that will cause you to laugh hard. I found myself thoroughly enjoying Michael's exploration of his fantastic gizmo, zipping through events as all of us have wished we could do. You'll love his reactions to these moments, and you'll dream of doing them yourself. Perhaps the penultimate moments are when Michael finally loses it with Ammer and he begins to Hassle the Hoff—unbeknownst to him. You may have seen the scene in the trailer, but it's just as good and better on DVD.

Great, Click is funny, but how annoying is Sandler in his man-boy shtick? Luckily, not very annoying. He definitely is in that role, but with a wife and family and responsibilities, I found that he was nowhere near as immature as we've seen him in the past. He's a grown man who has his juvenile moments, but it's interlaced with mountains of stress and responsibility. It's a good balance and shows progress in the maturation of this juvenile humor.

But this comes with a price, for Click continues past comedy into drama. In trying to pound home the message of embracing every moment and putting family and friends first, the film takes a big right turn and begins to pull at your heartstrings. "Look at everything Michael missed. Look at how things have fallen apart. Was it all worth it? See how distant you are from your family and how poorly you've treated them." The comedy takes a backseat to the juicy moral center. And while that's the necessary evil to such a movie, it's too heavy-handed. You're riding the rollercoaster having a grand time, then it falls off the tracks and ruins your day. You came to Click for Sandler-fun and you end up skirting the land of the chick flick.

I had a lot of fun with the first two-thirds of the movie, but that last third really does push too hard. We can't change it now, but a more subtle approach would have been more applicable in a comedy. If memory serves, the teariness of Big Daddy would have been an appropriate level, not the weepiness of The Notebook. Sadly, because of the sadness, you forget how funny the beginning of the film was.

With solid performances from the entire cast—including a performance from Sean Astin trying to prove he's not really a hobbit—only one man could rise above the rest, Christopher Walken. Even in the silliest of roles he's a commanding presence, and you just can't help but love him. Walken is once again king of his domain, and you relish every scene he's in. The one unintentionally funny aspect of his performance was his accent. He tried to not be so "Walken" with his voice, but it's such a part of him that it kept slipping through, creating some odd accent never heard before.

And it would be wholly unfair not to mention the spectacular special effects in the movie. Everything from pausing people, to the life menu, to prosthetics are all top notch in Click. The superb effects work allows you to enjoy the moment and not be distracted by it.

Almost a special effect in and of themselves, how are the transfers? Filmed in high-def video, the 1.85:1 anamorphic print showed nary a flaw. Actually, I didn't notice any problems with the transfer, instead showcasing sparkling colors, deep blacks, and excellent contrast and detail. With the audio, the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix gives us crystal clear dialogue, occasional but immersive use of the surrounds, and some stunning bass during the transition to the life menu.

I'm about to make a huge list of bonus features, but the long list itself is meant to hide the fact that most of the material is weak and wanting.

• Cast and Crew Audio Commentary: This track features Sandler, director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer), writer Steve Koren, and executive producer Tim Herlihy. This is a laid-back, friendly commentary that didn't quite work for me. The problem is that I couldn't fully tune in because I felt removed from what they were saying. The four are friends, and they were using a friend shorthand and I felt like a stranger listening in.

• Deleted Scenes (3 minutes): Four little scenes that were wise cuts.

• "Make Me Old and Fat" (6.5 minutes): The first and best featurette showing the excellent makeup work done in the film.

• "FX of Click" (5 minutes): Too shallow of an examination of some great work.

• "Design My Universe" (4 minutes, 39 seconds): The sets of the future!

• "Cars of the Future" (3 minutes): The cars of the future!

• "Humping Dogs" (1 minute): There really was way too much dog humping in this movie. It kinda grossed me out.

• "Director's Take" (4.25 minutes): Hail to Coraci!

• "Fine Cookin'" (3 minutes): Random snippets of Sandler screaming and talking about food.

• Trailers: Normally a trailer bonus doesn't warrant a bullet, but look how many you get on this disc: The Benchwarmers, 50 First Dates, The Pursuit of Happyness, Casino Royale, Ghost Rider, Stranger Than Fiction, Spider-Man 3, The Holiday, Open Season, The Da Vinci Code, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Little Man, RV, The Pink Panther (2006), Fun With Dick and Jane, and Seinfeld: Season 7.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Did I mention the sappy, tear-jerking finale of the movie?

Closing Statement

"It looked like a little Tic Tac."
"Yeah? Come here and I'll freshen your breath."

You may hate Sandler, you may hate juvenile humor, and you may hate Hasselhoff, but even with all of these ingredients, Click is a movie that works and is funny. We can't ignore that extended detour through the tunnel of drama, but even with that there is much to enjoy in this comedy. It has great punch lines, great sight gags, and great comedic performances. I give this one a solid rental recommendation. But even though the movie is good and the transfers are great, the lame extras and drama may turn off a few folks.

The Verdict

Click is found guilty of being unnecessarily moody.

Case adjourned.

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