Released: 06/23/06

DVD Release: 10/10/06

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff, Henry Winkler,

Directed by: Frank Coraci

Sony Pictures Official Site of the Movie

Don’t check your calendar just yet. It’s not 4 months ago, Click isn’t in theaters, and you don’t have to wait for more new episodes of Lost. It’s time for a little catch up.

Click was one of my favorite comedies of the year but was also one of the unfortunate reviews to take a back seat to my wedding this past summer. Sometimes you just have to prioritize. With the release of Click on DVD this Tuesday I thought it was the perfect time to write up a review to go with the comic I’ve had finished for months. No reason to let it go to waste right, and my ultimate goal is to share as many comics and reviews with you guys as possible. So I’ll be playing catch up on a few summer movies through their DVD releases. Between the wedding, the comic conventions we show at, and 4 movies being released every weekend over the summer, there were plenty of casualties. My main goal will still be the new stuff but if something comes along and I’ve got a comic done… why not put it up?

I knew that Click was one I didn’t want to forget about. I was blown away by the genuine sentiment and rich comedy from Adam Sandler and friends who haven’t delivered a movie this well-rounded since The Wedding Singer. It’s got the typical laugh out loud comedy you’d expect from the best Happy Madison film, but with a strong message about prioritizing the important things in life and enjoying what really matters. It spoke directly to me and sent me home with a new perspective and feeling great!

Sandler plays Michael Newman, an up and coming architect, and family man with a good heart, good intentions, and way too much on his plate. On a late night search for a universal remote he ventures to the “Beyond� department at Bed Bath and Beyond where he meets Morty. Morty, a bizarre stock manager (played by Christopher Walken whose performance is so wacky and weird that you would swear that the director just told him to do an impression of Kevin Pollak’s impression of him.) that offers Michael a universal remote to control his life.

The remote allows him to fast-forward through arguments, long work nights and mundane tasks like showering and traffic. It’s a workaholic dream tool! But it wouldn’t be a movie if the dream didn’t turn into a nightmare. As Michael abuses the remote it begins to memorize the things he typically likes to skip. Before you know it, 10 years have gone by and he doesn’t remember a thing.

The writers obviously had some fun exploring what could be done with a remote like this, and most of them are spot on hysterical. Most at the expense of David Hasselhoff who plays Michael’s boss who feels the sting of the pause button, horizontal adjustment menu, and Spanish language track. All of it very funny, and somehow more funny because it’s Hasselhoff, but I’m not buying into his hype. I loved Night Rider I had no problem with Baywatch, but “The Hoff� is way too full of himself these days and to me that sours any pop culture credibility he ever had. I say hire Mr. T next time. At least he has a catch phrase.

I was talking with Tom about Click a couple of months ago, and he echoed something Ebert had pointed out. That Sandler’s character only uses the remote for selfish purposes. That the audience would have had more sympathy for Michael’s extreme situation had he done something with the remote to help others.

It’s an interesting point but in this particular situation, a little ambitious. Though nearly 30 years pass in the course of the movie, to Michael, who’s being thrust through time by the remote, the entire event takes place over the course of a week. When you find a magic lamp of limitless power there’s got to be a grace period where you’re not expected to save the world with it. This snowballs out of control so quickly that I could completely relate to Michael’s actions.

And it’s not like he’s completely selfish. This is a guy that loves his family to death but in an attempt to provide them with a wonderful life, he’s ended up neglecting them by working too much. A lot of what he does with the remote is spent trying to make his family happy and while that’s not exactly noble on a larger scale, you can’t slight a guy for loving his wife and kids.

Especially when that wife is Kate Beckinsale with her British accent and giant hair that put her way out of Sandler’s league but still make her a welcome fit in any movie. This is actually a great part for Beckinsale because it’s something different and would eventually become one of the biggest comedies of the year. And she came along at the right time because Click offers more than what most expect out of Happy Madison. There’s a lot going on other then fart jokes and potty humor. It’s there, but there’s more to it.

The movie isn’t perfect and won’t make a connection with everybody. I personally questioned how he was using the remote and the reveal of the true identity of Walken’s mysterious character. Something that helped the plot of the film but took me by surprise. Ultimately the message of the movie was paramount, and for me it was exactly what I needed at the exact right time. Heading home that night I had such an appreciation for life. I’d been in a fog of work and responsibility and I realized I wasn’t even paying attention to my upcoming wedding. Click made me want to kick over my drawing table and take my wife out for a night on the town. It made me want to call up all my friends and throw a party for no reason. It made me want to stop worrying about what I think needed to get done, and start enjoying what I already had. A life lesson from Billy Madison… I’m as surprised as you are.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Click is able to capture the best parts of a Sandler comedy and marry them with an inspirational story. If you missed it this summer, it is worth renting for sure. Sandler always makes me laugh and after The Wedding Singer I knew he was capable of so much more. He’s showed his skills plenty in movies like Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish, but it’s nice to see that Wedding Singer potential reached again in a goofball comedy.

DVD Worthy?:

For me, definitely. I had such a positive reaction to the overall message and I laughed all the way through. As a Sandler fan I find myself begrudgingly accepting most of his movies as DVD worthy not because they are but because I want them to be. I’ll let the memory of one or two great jokes overshadow any pacing or story problems that hurt the movies quality. It’s nice to have a movie like Click, which I can buy with pride because it’s got all the usual laughs, but is actually backed up by a story I can appreciate and revisit.

Outside the Theater.

Don’t forget to order your set of Joe Loves Crappy Movies Buttons! On Sale now and featuring all your favorite JLCM characters. Have a look. For the first 30 people that buy the button set and the �I Love Crappy Movies� T-shirt in the same purchase, I’ll toss in a free sketch and some free stickers with the order. Act fast!

I’m actually pretty pleased with how the buttons came out though I only wear the Yeo one on my Jacket. Irv has them all on his bag except mine. Jerk. That’s it for now. See you tomorrow!