“Jack and Jill” is a New Low in Adam Sandler’s and Al Pacino’s Career
If we were ever searching for the low point in the careers of both Adam Sandler and Al Pacino, Jack and Jill is unquestionably our buried treasure – the worst of the worst – the film that makes one long for titles such as Grown Ups and Just Go With It. Yes, it’s that awful.
But you see we critics – from time to time – seem to be evasive about our opinions. Why one does this, I’m not quite sure. So, I’ll go forth and just tell you that anyone can laud this heap of trash as well, a heap of trash. Hell, I’m doing it now. However, I’m searching for something more, something beyond the exterior of this dreadful endeavor. So we go to core of the problem: Adam Sandler.
Why is Mr. Sandler continuing to support, produce, and contribute to these pictures that not even his most loyal aficionados can tolerate? Why does Mr. Sandler feel this is a product worth spending time, money and effort on? If this argument feels dated, that’s because I’ve been contemplating this for a long, long time. It’s shame to see talent go to waste.
In director Dennis Dugan’s tale of mediocrity we follow Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) an advertising executive that’s both successful and manipulative though one would argue the latter attribute is a prerequisite for such a position. With the Christmas season right around the corner, things are about to get chaotic for Jack and his family (a son, a daughter, and a lovely wife played by Katie Holmes).
Sure, the festivities and family commitments always bring havoc in the lives of others, but Jack’s biggest concern is Jill, his identical twin sister who is also played by Sandler. Jill is an obnoxious and annoying gal with a big heart. But not to worry, Adam Sandler has her covered with his supreme class of acting.
Throughout every minute of Jack and Jill’s far too long 93-minute run-time, the boundaries of absurdity and stupidity are tested. The day of the poop springing up from a toilet or a character getting hit in crotch by a tennis ball, basketball, golf ball or baseball are over! Those happenings are almost esoteric in comparison to the even cheaper occurrences in Jack and Jill. Gross out gags have now been substituted with insulting generalizations of cultures, loathsome material about insecurity, and crass behavior only to be tolerated in, well, an Adam Sandler movie.
Though, Jack and Jill really gets into some trouble with its half-baked script. The screenplay, written by Steve Koren (who’s behind such praised titles as Click and Evan Almighty) and Ben Zook, contributes to a film without a story to tell. Jack is a self-indulgent brother who can’t see past his own shortcomings. Jill is so continuously annoying that it makes caring for her constant failures next to impossible. The rest of the characters on screen are just a backdrop for Sandler’s unfunny comedy material.
Which, truly, at the end of the day is the crux of the problem in Jack and Jill: It’s just not funny. It’s not so politically incorrect that it becomes dirty humor and it’s not a family film that makes out for some nice pleasant viewing, it’s just sort of… there.
In the pantheon of Adam Sandler’s endeavors, Jack and Jill won’t be forgotten but rather remembered as the film where a once-upon-a-time nuanced, hilarious, and affable actor lost every ounce of respect he once contained.
As for Mr. Pacino… I suspect Happy Madison Productions made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.
D-
.5 stars out of 4
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17 Comments
Wait, Al Pacino is in this?! How did I not know Al Pacino is in this?! Why is Al Pacino in this?! I feel like setting fire to my DVD of “Dog Day Afternoon”! (Sobbing.)
Also, this line – “But not to worry, Adam Sandler has her covered with his supreme class of acting.” – made me laugh out loud.
Nick that is what I was thinking. Pacino’s presence was way under the radar.
I guess this is what happens when you just don’t give a frack anymore ….
He’s in the trailer and delivers the best scene in the film – which to no surprise comes at the end of the film.
Haha, thanks for reading Nick.
Hi, Sam and company:
Nice critique.
I’ve never been much of an Adam Sandler fan. Since his days at hasn’t been funny since Belushi and Aykroyd left, Saturday Night Live.
For the simple fact that I’ve never found him funny! Boring and obnoxious? Yes. Funny? No.
Sandler in drag?… Seriously?!!!
Hasn’t this done beyond death with the equally unfunny Eddie Murphy?
‘Jack and Jill’ looks to have all the requisite ingredients for an unmitigated disaster. Though, I’m sure Hollywood will find a way to make money on it.
I’ll be shocked if this thing makes money. And Mr. Murphy did a pretty solid job in the Nutty Professor.
I believe Jack meant Martin Lawrence.
Well this review pretty much confirms my dread. Seriously, even that image of Sandler in drag is enough to make me hurl.
It hurt my head as well – time after time – minute after minute.
I actually didn’t mind Grown Ups, but just from the trailer i figured this was going to be bad.
Grown Ups was brilliant compared to this.
I thought “Grown Ups” was OK but it was part of this period in recent years where I felt Sandler was hit and miss. Then came “Just Go with It” and that film made me angry. I didn’t laugh at anything. It just made me want to get a hammer and bash Adam Sandler to a bloody pulp. Then came the trailer for this and I was like, “Oh fuck”. Then I see Al Pacino in it and I’m like “No!!!”. I wanted to cry.
And 2 critics like it right now as it’s gotten a 4% on Rotten Tomatoes. I think I would rather commit hari-kari than watch this piece of shit. And yes, there is talent that is wasted and to think. I actually liked Adam Sandler and some of his movies but this is the bottom of the barrel.
I like some Sandler films…. Especially the ones he has very little control over.
I knew this would be bad. Turns out it’s even worse than I thought. I will steer right fucking clear.
Couldn’t see you ever watching this type of film Tyler
Terrible, just terrible. Nice review — it confirms that I will do everything possible to never see this movie.
AL PACINO IS IN THIS FILM??
I just went sick all over my computer.
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