Blended (8/25/2014)

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and language.

Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews and Joel McHale

Directed by Frank Coraci (Here Comes the Boom, Zookeeper, Click)

Blended makes an unfunny topic pretty funny.

After a disastrous blind date, single parents Lauren (Barrymore) and Jim (Sandler) agree on only one thing: they never want to see each other again. But when they each sign up separately for a fabulous family vacation with their kids, they are all stuck sharing a suite at a luxurious African safari resort for a week.

Most of us have friends with a blended family or are part of one ourselves. We’ve watched the struggles, the awkwardness and difficulties that come with blending families. Blended allows us to laugh at those awkward and painful situations. My favorite is when the tour guide shows the family members a bush pig being cared for by lions. He compares the scene to a blended family…and of course the lions promptly eat it.

The cast really helps with the humor. And again we see the chemistry between Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore outshine the script and story – remember 50 First Dates? Well they are even better this time around. Both have plenty of baggage which makes them a punchline for the other. They are also both very sweet…especially together.

But my favorite was Terry Crews, who is hilarious throughout the film. There are also all the cameos, from Shaquille O’Neill to Dan Patrick.

Over the years Adam Sandler has made some pretty funny films, he has also made some pretty raunchy ones. This film stays on the PG side of PG-13, making it the most enjoyable Adam Sandler film in four years.

Director Frank Coraci, knows two things…how to keep Adam Sandler in line and how to deliver the laughs. The one area he could have done better with was with the pace. The film is pretty slow at the beginning, but once the families arrive in Africa, the pace picks up and it ends pretty strong.

At the end of the day, this is an Adam Sandler film – a cleaner Adam Sandler film, but still an Adam Sandler film, so I’ll give it a score of “rental.”

SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex or nudity shown but there are plenty of conversations about sex.

There is no violence in the film aside from a few mild slapstick moments.

There is a “What the fu” and the F-word is not fully enunciated, 1 obscene hand gesture, 5 sexual references, 14 S-words and a few other profanities.

CONVERSATION STARTER:

1. Besides “blended,” how would you describe the family in the film?


2. What words would you use to describe your family?


3. In your opinion, what makes a great family?


4. What can you do this week to contribute to becoming a better family?