Click

Over the past decade, Adam Sandler has made numerous attempts at developing a more serious on-screen persona, but few have been critically well-received. Whether he was a loud-mouth golfer in “Happy Gilmore" or a mild-mannered chef in “Spanglish", Sandler just can’t quite convince people that he can be consistently on-target with his performances.

His latest film “Click" has all of the offbeat humor and out-of-control antics you would expect from him, but I still felt there was something missing.This time around he plays a workaholic architect named Michael, who works so much that he hardly sees his kids and has little time to spend talking with his wife.

When he misses the majority of his son’s swim meet and is forced to cancel a family camping trip, he decides to take his life into his own hands and go for a drive.

Oddly, Bed, Bath, and Beyond is the only store open at the time, but it just so happens to offer the remedy he is looking for. It is here that he meets Morty, played hilariously by Christopher Walken, who gives him a universal remote that has the power to control anything with the push of a button.

Michael soon learns just how powerful it can be when it begins to fast forward on its own and leave him wondering how much of his life he missed out on during that time. At one point, it skips an entire year in which his kids grow up and are no longer interested in the same activities as before and Michael can’t believe what has happened.

I found it to be reminiscent of 2004’s “The Butterfly Effect" in that both characters are desperately trying to improve their lives, but each change doesn’t always bring about the most favorable outcome.

As Michael continues to use the remote, his life becomes worse off than it was before and doesn’t appear that it will get any better. Although there are some good laughs involving Michael’s neighbor, it quickly becomes a very sad and depressing story about a man who tries so hard to make things right that he ultimately ends up losing everything he had worked for. Sandler portrays these emotions with great sincerity, but often looks as if he is trying too hard to deliver the perfect scene. I also felt that some of the more critical scenes were sometimes ruined by humor taking over at inappropriate times and leaving much to be desired.

Just when you think Sandler has gone serious, he says or does something to make you believe he’s still the same loud-mouth he’s always been. As a fan of most of Sandler’s films ( “The Waterboy" and “Little Nicky" not included) , I usually enjoy his unique sense of humor, but also like to see him expand his talent and deal with more adult situations.

During the film’s final sequence, many questions are answered and problems are resolved, but I felt a little cheated with the way it decided to end and everything I had just witnessed now came into question. If there is anything important being said by this movie, it is that no matter how hard you try, you can’t please everyone.

Overall, “Click" was an entertaining movie about a man trying to spend more time with his family, but the imbalance between emotion and humor seemed to be too much at times. It is a film that’s not quite sure whether it wants to be a slapstick comedy or a heartfelt drama, which for me makes it an enjoyable, yet somewhat disappointing film.

- ** ½ out of 4