Grown Ups 2

Grown Ups 2 is a 2013 comedy starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade. The movie is a follow-up to the first Grown Ups film, starring the same actors/actresses. They each reprise their roles to deliver a comedic performance in this sequel. While it is not a blockbuster of the summer kind of film, it still delivers some good laughs throughout.

**Spoilers Ahead**

The film opens with us seeing Adam Sandler and his wife asleep in bed. Adam wakes up to find a giant moose watching him from the side of the bed. Without panicking, he tries to wake up his wife but fails miserably. She wakes up frustrated and spots the moose. Instantly, she screams and the moose yells simultaneously. As a result, the moose urinates all over Adam Sandler and makes a run for it. The rest of the family is in shock and they all work together to get rid of the moose.

By the end of this scene, we learn the group of grown ups has moved back to their hometown, the same setting of the first film. We are re-introduced to each main character via some funny moments. Kevin James' child cannot add simple math and has no common sense whatsoever (quite cute and funny when you see it), Chris Rock's wife forgets their anniversary and he is now using this as a "get out of jail free card", and David Spade is introduced to his long-lost son who is bi-polar. After we meet the entire group again, we are introduced to some new characters such as the K-Mart employee, Adam's old high school bully, the group's friend who is now a crazy cop, etc.

As the film continues, we quickly learn this plot has no purpose. This is nothing more than the group's way of reliving some young adulthood memories all in one day. After running into some old friends and bullies, they convince each other to jump off the tall rock Kevin James could never bring himself to do. When they arrive, they are interrupted by some stereotypical frat boys. When I say stererotypical, I mean the guys are all model material, they act really dumb and chant their frat name, and they have secret handshakes while drinking. They force the adults to jump off the cliff naked (a funny moment in the film, I will admit).

By the end of this fiasco, they agree to have an 80's theme party that night with most of their old friends. The film ends with everyone getting along (even the bullies), and Adam's house being trashed. I can't help but wonder, what was the point of this film? If you're looking for a good, solid, heartwarming message - you're not going to get it with Grown Ups 2. Be prepared to witness only the events of four grown men within a single day and the funny moments that occur in between. I will admit the car wash scene, the cliff, David Spade rolling downhill in a tire, and the overall party scene are the funniest moments of the film. However, it's nothing that will make you roll on the floor laughing.

I honestly feel this was Adam Sandler's attempt to get EVERY SINGLE actor he worked with thus far together on one set to have some fun. It was like Mr. Deeds meets Big Daddy meets Billy Madison. While I could not capture the message he was trying to achieve, I can appreciate the humor and easy flow of acting these gentlemen provided. Everyone interacted with one another quite naturally as if they knew each other for many years already (which they probably did since Big Daddy is over a decade old).

My recommendation is to go see the film. You'll laugh a few times and leave the theatre chuckling. It is overall, a feel good film.

My rating: B-