Anger Management /
Rated: PG-13 |
Starring: Adam
Sandler, Jack Nicholson, Krista Allen, Marisa Tomei, Allen Covert
|
Directed
by: Peter Segal |
Produced
by: Barry Bernardi, Derek Dauchy, Todd Garner, Jack Giarraputo
|
Written by:
Dave Dorfman, David Dorfman |
Distributor: Sony Pictures
|
|
Adam Sandler is a funny
guy, and by funny I don’t just mean comically talented, but naturally amusing
as well. Whether his abilities are put to good use or not, is usually
determined by the script he’s working with. He hits and he misses.
Unfortunately, Anger Management is a miss. However, Sandler is
entertaining, and his co-star Jack Nicholson is hilarious. This is a duo of
extreme chemistry, due to clashing personalities. But, sadly, the screenplay
for Anger Management isn’t anywhere near healthy. It has well-written
ideas, but is never able to expand off of them. And as every Sandler film of
this type, Anger Management uses clichéd, and disgusting “big dick”
jokes. Watching the film, I felt as though I was viewing a rough draft, and
not the final product. This flick, I will admit, has true potential—potential
it wasn’t able to turn into success.
Dave Buznik (Sandler)
is an average guy, with an average job, and an average life. He has been with
the same company for years, and is looking for an upcoming promotion.
Currently, he is working on a clothing line for obese cats (when I said an
average job, I meant average paying). Anger Management begins with
Dave, hopping aboard a plane, traveling to a business function. When on the
plane, he finds himself sitting next to an extremely odd man, named Buddy
Rydell (Nicholson). After a tough work week, all Dave wants is to get some
rest, on the plane ride. But, Buddy keeps interrupting his sleep, when
laughing at the in-flight movie. Buddy annoyingly urges Dave to watch the
film. In order to do so, he will need a headset. Dave politely asks the flight
attendant to bring him one. After she ignores him thrice before, and he asks
her for a headset a fourth time, she erupts in madness. The flight attendant
tells him that he is being a crazed, angry nut (even though he is a lot calmer
about the situation than she). She commands the pilot turn the plane around,
and that Dave is arrested for physically and verbally assaulting her, once on
the ground. In court, he is wrongly sentenced to anger management.
He enters the anger
management program, days later, and discovers that his teacher is the same man
who sat next to him on the plane. If that isn’t enough, his class is full of
crazed, angry lunatics. Just being in the presence of these people drives Dave
insane. He is getting angry, because of his anger management class, and not
the other way around. Buddy is led to believe that Dave is an enraged, hateful
individual, even though his cranky attitude is being driven by him and his
mentally ill bunch of patients. He recommends that the court extend Dave’s
anger management sentence. The judge grants this request. Unexpectedly, Buddy
decides to move in with Dave, and takes part in his personal life. If Dave
does not comply with all of Buddy’s orders, during this time, he will be sent
to state prison for one year. Dave uneasily abides by Buddy’s rules, and lets
Buddy live with him, even though he is always tempted to stand up to his
so-called therapist.
Although, as a whole,
Anger Management isn’t anywhere near passing, Nicholson and Sandler’s
performances are a riot. Sandler is a marketing genius, as well as an
excellent comedian, but he needs to learn to pick better scripts. Many critics
would say that he should take a stab at more roles like the one he had in
Punch Drunk Love. Even though he was excellent in that treat of a movie, I
don’t think that Adam Sandler would be Adam Sandler without his trademarked
poo-poo-gah-gah humor. I would like to see the side of him I experienced in
his animated debut 8 Crazy Nights again; comical but not overblown.
Even though he has the lead role in Anger Management, Nicholson’s
performance is the one to rave about. His facial expressions, gestures, and
various tones of voice are witty and hysterical. Similar to Bringing Down
the House, Anger Management proves that great performances can make
a brutal script, tolerable.
Anger Management
has its moments, but never expands on its comedy, proving it an utter waste of
time. If you must see it, I would recommend waiting for a ninety-nine cent,
Blockbuster rental. Sandler and Nicholson do have chemistry, and are pleasing
to watch onscreen, but the film is lacking in content. At times, I wanted to
close my eyes. At others, I was laughing my guts out. My liking of Anger
Management changed on a minute-to-minute basis. There are sketches that
tickle your funny bone, but the movie on the whole, can’t do much more than
that. If it were to have a feel for its comedy, and was better edited,
Anger Management might’ve been able to receive a passing grade. But, as it
stands, this film is just one of a million forgettable works, intended for the
mainstream audience.
-Danny, Bucket Reviews
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