I did not want to go see Grown Ups 2. In fact I wanted to stay as far away as possible from this Dennis Dugan production, who (with the occasional exception) is notoriously bad at making Adam Sandler collaborative films. The original Grown Ups was no exception to the rule; being boring, unfunny, and possessing the experience of watching a stranger’s home video tape where all the jokes and laughs are inside ones. The reason I ended up going to see its sequel was because my fiancée really wanted to see it (something I reluctantly agree too). Turns out she’s a better picker of movies than I am (which I should have figured out after she dragged me to see that “lame” film The Conjuring {see review for prove of being wrong}); as not only did I find Grown Ups 2 entertaining and funny, but a surprisingly likable treat!
The events of Grown Ups 2 all occur in a single, crazy day, where we observe the daily lives of Lenny (Adam Sandler), Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), Marcus (David Spade), their families and the community that lives around them. One of the things that really didn't work for the original Grown Ups was its comedy. It felt less like Adam Sandler and his crew were trying to make a film and more like they were just out to have a fun time with each other. That’s all well and good, if you’re able to pull off the comedy correctly; which as I mentioned above, was as stale and awkward as a stranger’s homemade movies. In the original, nearly every joke is played off with the cast laughing at it; like the scenes happening were non-scripted (heck, maybe it was improvised), and aimed more at the cast and crew rather than the viewers, (imagine if one of your acquaintance at work invited you over to watch a home video of him/her as a 5 year old; funny for him, boring for you). The movie also gets way too touchy at times, pausing the comedy for long periods of those “special” scenes where one of the characters learns a valuable lesson about family or friendship (which in a movie with crotch kicks, farts, and fat jokes just feels too awkward and out of place.)
Grown Ups 2 is like the electrician here to fix the faulty wiring that messed up Grown Ups. For one the comedy is much better timed and paced. No longer do we have any long awkward pauses or breaks between jokes; instead being replaced with good, well-timed comedy strait from beginning to the very end. I was surprised at how quickly the film’s pacing moved since the first had been such a chore to trudge through. The editing is also superior compared to the original; for example one dinner scene plays off the dinner of over six households in a well mannered format that pays off with some good jokes and some decent character development. The oversensitive “special” scenes have now been wisely spread out into special moments between the comedy breaks; giving up decent character/family development without any long, unfunny, out of place scenes. The family relationships are greatly improved thanks to this; but it’s not just the families that get some good development, but the entire town community. Many may disagree with this, but I found that the way this community was done felt a lot like how The Simpsons community is done. Sure you got the main cast to mainly focus on, but you also got all the other unique and comedic characters throughout the town; showing up here and there throughout the film too give some comedic bits, add some advice or just be seen hanging around. Each character feels unique and the entire town feels alive and full of energy; essentially making them a memorable community of characters. The movie itself feels no longer like a homemade video aimed at the cast and more like a movie made for entertaining the audience.
The apparent aim to satisfy the audience doesn't come out any better than the complete ditching of the tame, toned down feeling the original had in exchange for complete and utter insanity! The majority of events that occur in this community couldn't/wouldn't happen in real life (bringing back the whole “Simpsons cartoon” feeling). One scene involves Lenny and friends driving a school bus while being escorted by the police (who are blazing their sirens and blasting their guns into the air) to a ballet recital while Nick Swardson (playing…Nick) rides behind the bus on an inflatable raft before crashing into a building. Another scene involves Marcus getting thrown down a hill in a car tire; crashing over cars while being chased by his steroid muscle bound ex, only to be stopped by a police man (played by Shaq) with only his chest. The situations are off the walls unrealistic and crazy, which provides the energy and entertainment needed to make a film like this work. What makes it even better is that the insane situations are played off hilariously well; making me laugh multiple times throughout the film. And then there’s the ending…and boy is it an uproariously awesome scene to behold; by far faring 50 times better than the original’s tedious conclusion.
I’m going to admit it right now; I think Grown Ups 2 is a good film. In fact I’d be willing to watch it again. It’s got good comedy, great situations, fine pacing and editing, and a decent amount of character development. My hopes are that this becomes the catalyst for future Dennis Dugan/Adam Sandler collaborations, and that their awful manufacturing of films begins to improve like it did here…well, for me at least.