“Blended” opened in theaters on May 23, reuniting Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler once more, but proved to be a disappointment to moviegoers. Here Sandler plays Jim, a middle class widower with three daughters who he has no idea how to raise. Similarly, Barrymore plays Lauren, a divorced mother of two boys. The two of them meet on a disastrous blind date at Hooters, after which they resolve never to see each other again. They do, however, when both of them sign their respective families up for a vacation at an African safari resort under the same false alias.
This setup takes a full 45 minutes of screen time to explain; screenwriters Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera must realize how fantastically improbable it is and feel the need to explain every little step.
When both families make it to Africa, however, they find themselves sharing the same suite and over the course of their vacation Jim and Lauren’s mutual hatred evolves into mutual respect. As the two fall for each other, their enormous would-be family struggle with their own individual problems as they try to get along. For instance Jim’s daughter is eternally mistaken for a boy because of her slightly masculine haircut, despite her distinctly feminine features. As she struggles to win the affections of a boy, she finds a mother in Lauren. Likewise, when Lauren’s son needs help honing his baseball skills, he utilizes Jim as a father substitute.
Anything heartfelt that happens between the two families, however, is drowned in an avalanche of unfunny slapstick comedy. The more the screenwriters try to wring out a laugh, the more one wishes they would just let the casual banter between Barrymore and Sandler play out. Between one-line jokes from fellow vacationers and songs from the Greek-chorus-like lounge singer, the two actors work well together. In fact, one has to give “Blended” credit: it is one of Sandler’s most family-friendly flicks.
“Blended” always tries for the easy joke, which makes for a disappointingly average movie.
