If you’ve seen the commercials for Jack and Jill, the new comedy from Adam Sandler, you’ve probably gotten a chuckle out of the image of Sandler in drag. This, unfortunately, is the film’s best gag, and it’s definitely not worth the price of admission.
Jack (Sandler) is an advertising executive on the verge of losing his biggest client: Dunkin Donuts. In order to satisfy the client and keep his job, Jack has to convince Al Pacino to do a ridiculous ad promoting a new drink called the Dunkacino (get it?). Jack’s irritating twin sister Jill (also Sandler) comes to town, and Pacino immediately (and somewhat inexplicably) falls for her. In order for Jack to keep his job, he has to get Jill to go for Pacino, which turns out to be no easy task.
Jack and Jill is rated PG, so this isn’t the Adam Sandler that most people are familiar with. The jokes are very broad, and not particularly well thought out. Sandler used to bail himself out of these situations with more provocative humor, but the “family-friendly” Sandler is all you’ll get here. It’s mostly poor slapstick and unfunny fart jokes.
The novelty of Sandler playing dual roles is amusing, but quickly wears on the viewer. Sandler’s voice when playing Jill is so irritating that scenes without that character feel like a vacation.
Jack and Jill is loaded with cameos; Sandler’s SNL buddies Tim Meadows, Norm MacDonald and David Spade are all present, as is his younger friend, Mr. “Bucky Larson” himself, Nick Swardson. Also making brief appearances are Johnny Depp, Jared the Subway guy, and John McEnroe. The main cast is so bland (Katie Holmes, anyone?) that the audience will find themselves wishing these cameos lasted throughout the entire film.
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher as to why Al Pacino agreed to do Jack and Jill. It’s nice that he was willing to play himself as an egotistical, semi-psychotic person, but it’s a shame that he wasted his talents at all on this film. That said, his character got a few laughs, which is more than I can say for the rest of the picture.
Sandler is better than this, and that’s what pains me most about Jack and Jill. This feels like a step backward in his career. Jack and Jill doesn’t show Sandler in any sort of new light, it just proves that he can be irritating for 90 minutes.
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