Movie Review: "Just Go With It"

Seen on: February 17, 2011

The players: Director: Dennis Dugan, Writers: Timothy Dowling, Allan Loeb, Cast: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Brooklyn Decker, Nick Swardson

Facts of interest: None.

The plot: In an effort to hook up with a sexy young woman, plastic surgeon Danny pretends he's stuck in a terrible marriage.

Our thoughts: Jennifer Aniston and Brooklyn Decker look pretty good in Dennis Dugan’s new comedy “Just Go with It,” but sadly enough, that’s all this film has to offer. Granted, it’s not the worst Adam Sandler flick I’ve seen so far, but it terms of storyline and plot, it’s almost just as moronic and unnecessary as most of the actor’s recent big-screen escapades.

In the film, Sandler plays Danny, a popular plastic surgeon who pretends he’s stuck in a terrible marriage to seduce attractive women. Surprisingly enough, his so-called plan always works flawlessly until he falls for Palmer (Decker), a hot chick who insists on meeting Danny’s evil wife before she can commit to any type of relationship. Ouch.

Desperate for help, Danny turns to his assistant Katherine (Aniston) and her two energetic children to play his fake family, and what happens next is a series of awkward events that ultimately lead to everybody spending a turbulent weekend together in Hawaii. High five if you can already guess where this is heading.

Needless to say, “Just Go with It” takes almost two hours for two old friends to realize that they’re meant to be together. It’s nothing but the same old story we’ve seen so many times over the years, and sadly enough, it hasn’t seen any refreshing updates. Add a solid dose of the usual Adam Sandler humor (the mediocre one, that is), and you’ve got just another typical Adam Sandler movie.

While “Just Go with It” is a little more enjoyable than Sandler’s previous comedies “Grown Ups” and “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,” it’s still haunted by utterly ridiculous characters who are simply too dumb to be taken seriously. Their behavior barely makes sense most of the time, and the countless irrational decisions they take simply kill off any credibility a film like this may attain.

I won’t go into specifics because it’s simply not worth it, but let’s just say Danny and co. act like a bunch of fools straight out of high school. Believe it or not, but the smartest folks onscreen are Katherine’s weird and often annoying children. A couple of jokes in the film work because they’re timed well, but overall, there’s not that much to laugh at in “Just Go with It.”

Freaky quote: "I am a divorcee with 2 kids, and I name their poop after you." - Jennifer Aniston

The final word: Danny has to resort to a lot of lies to convince Palmer he’s got a real family, but truth be told, he could have saved himself and us viewers a lot of trouble. Pedestrian at best, “Just Go with It” aims high but never really gets off the ground. This brings me back to the only thing this film has to offer: two sexy women looking pretty sharp. Let’s just go with that to wrap it up.

On the web: http://www.justgowithit-movie.com/

Article by Franck Tabouring