Iconic comedic duo loses their touch
May 3, 2018
“The Week Of,” a Netflix original starring Adam Sandler, is a disappointing film with weak jokes and a boring plot line, making the film hard to watch for the duration of its two-hour run time.
Sandler was once a great actor, appearing in successful films such as “Happy Gilmore,” “Billy Madison” and “Click.” However, he has now taken his career into the Netflix universe and has fallen flat doing so. This film is a prime example of how his career has dropped.
Released Friday, “The Week Of” follows a low-income father named Kenny, played by Sandler, as he attempts to give his daughter the wedding of her dreams. The father of the groom, Kirby, played by Chris Rock, is a high-class surgeon trying to cut in and change the plans.
The plot takes place during the week of the wedding, and both families are stuck in one house fighting over how the wedding will happen and who will pay for what. As tensions rise, the week of the wedding becomes increasingly hectic and harder to plan.
Sandler’s character alone is very flawed. Instead of being a stubborn, low-income parent, he is portrayed as being behind the times, cheap and slightly dumb.
While the character might be intentionally flawed, Sandler’s acting does not help. He portrays Kenny with a weak attitude and lazy delivery of the lines. He does not seem to believe in his character at all.
Throughout the film, the families of the bride and groom come together, and the awkward tension is almost cringeworthy. The performances seem entirely staged and fake rather than presenting a realistic world for audience members to delve into.
The dialogue between many of the characters is often delivered with an awkward pause between lines and lacks enthusiasm and feeling. The dialogue seems very forced, as if the actors are confused by the lines and genuinely do not know what they are doing.
Rock’s character is self-centered and condescending, making it hard to believe he is even part of the family. As the plot unfolds, he becomes more absorbed with himself, and it becomes a bigger stretch for his character to fit in.
The comic relief the film attempts to provide also falls short. The jokes are mediocre and play off of making fun of the elderly family members, which seems more offensive than funny.
“The Week Of” is another poorly executed film Sandler can add to his Netflix career. He has fallen short on countless others, such as “The Do Over” and “Sandy Wexler,” which both have major plot pitfalls and bad acting on Sandler’s part.
Any fans of Sandler’s previous films before Netflix would be sadly disappointed by this film, as well as his others. It seems Sandler has lost his touch and talent for acting.
“The Week Of” has proven to be another film with no redeemable qualities, characters who do not fit in, offensive and dry humor and a boring plot line.