Reviews For Adam Sandler's New Movie 'Blended' Are Absolutely Awful

Kirsten AcunaMay 22, 2014, 21:55 IST

Warner Bros.

Reviews for Adam Sandler's next movie "Blended" are finally coming out a day ahead of the film's release, and they're not good. This time around, Drew Barrymore teams up with Sandler on a disaster vacation with their separate families to Africa. It will be the duo's third movie together after "The Wedding Singer" and "50 First Dates." Here's why the movie sounds like a pass. The Telegraph says it's Barrymore and Sandler's "least-convincing rom-com." Warner Bros. "This relationship feels more circumstantial than romantic. It's about creating a new family unit where the girls can have a mother, the boys a father, and each parent a helping hand." That's a shame, because the main problem with the film sounds like it tries too hard, rather than allow the organic relationships of the two leads to play out. Arizona Republic: "Trust in the audience is not a hallmark of the filmmakers. If it were, then maybe they could allow at least one semiserious scene to play out without beating us over the head with a trademark silly Sandler gag." Variety: "'Blended' suffers from a fundamental lack of trust in its audience, following every unexpectedly smart exchange with a numbskull pratfall or one-liner, and every instance of genuine sincerity with an avalanche of schmaltz." "The harder the film tries to wring out a laugh, the more awkwardly it whiffs, which makes it all the more puzzling that Sandler and Barrymore's far looser, seemingly unscripted banter isn't afforded more screentime." There are a few uncomfortable gags - one involving copulating rhinos - but not more than the average recent Sandler film. The Wrap: "Then there's the uncomfortable and constant slur-slinging against supposedly ugly and/or flat-chested women … the chauvinistic cracks go a long way in undoing the strong moments of female solidarity scattered throughout the movie." The movie explains itself way too much.

Warner Bros.

Comingsoon.net: "In fact, the amount of time the movie spends actually setting up what should be a fairly simple premise could very well be its undoing since it is that time when Sandler really tests the audience's limits." Variety: "[A] laborious setup takes at least 45 minutes of screen time to get through, and it may well go down as the most boring extended stretch in Sandler's entire filmography." Drew Barrymore and Terry Crews are the two bright spots of this film.

Warner Bros.

Empire: "Barrymore's much more fun with Wendi McLendon-Covey (Bridesmaids) as her cynical business partner - a spin-off with those two might be worth watching." The Hollywood Reporter: "Sandler and Barrymore have an onscreen connection that lends a grounding warmth to the clunkiest comedy setups - in this case, a narrative that places two single parents on an African vacation as second date. Unenthusiastic reviews aside, the lead duo will be a strong draw for audiences who aren't keen on superhero action of the X-Men variety." Variety: "Terry Crews steals the most scenes as an insinuating South African lounge singer who appears throughout as a sort of sleazy Greek chorus." Despite the reviews, "Blended" should perform well. For one thing, Sandler movies historically make money no matter how poorly the film is critiqued or how many Razzies it wins. Last year's "Grown Ups 2," which received 7% on Rotten Tomatoes and cost about $80 million to make, made more than $246 million worldwide. The sequel was nominated for 9 Razzies. The movie is currently tracking for a $25 million opening weekend - at the low end for Sandler movies - however, the film has steep competition from "X-Men: Days of Future Past," which should be the first movie this year to break $100 million opening weekend. Watch a trailer below:

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Reviews For Adam Sandler's New Movie 'Blended' Are Absolutely Awful