Anger Management
So today it was raining and I headed out to see the Anger Management movie. It was so wind-rainy that my umbrella went inside out and I had to have a mini-wrestling match with it to get it right again. On the way, I picked up a bagel with scallion cream cheese and I got some wasabi peas, a 20oz diet dr. pepper and mentos. Because I sneak stuff into the theater I told the deli guy that I didn't need a bag and just stuffed everything into my pockets. He looked at me a little weirdly. Like why would I not want a bag?? all stuffing things into various pockets like some snack-crazy SWAT guy getting ready to jump out of the van.
Anyway, I caught a 1:00 showing of this flick and it only cost me $5 for a ticket which was cool. I sat down close to the front and saw the Matrix 2 preview... and think I got a half-chubby over that.
I was prepared for Anger Management to suck. The previews were weak and it seemed like it was the type of movie that was going to try too hard to make me laugh. But when push came to shove I thought this movie was a pretty good movie disguised as a bad movie. A quick plot summary is this: Adam Sandler plays the guy that he sort of always plays. Nice guy. Mumbly shy. Worn down a bit. Prone to outbursts. Nicholson plays an anger management therapist assigned to him and Jack acts all crazy. If Sandler doesn't get the stamp of approval from Jack- then Sandler has to go to prison or whatever. Whatever. Marisa Tomei (who's now all of a sudden real cute to me) is the girlfriend. Lots of side characters and cameos.
In the first 20 minutes of the movie I felt like I was already done with it. Something about it was off-beat in a bad way. The Sandler/Nicholson chemistry didn't really work for me. And it wasn't funny. But I kept watching. And I'd laugh at something. And I kept watching and got a little interested in the story. And I kept watching. And then I laughed at something. And I kept watching. And realized I appreciated the fact that the movie was moving along at a good clip and not lingering on stuff whatever. And I kept watching. And eventually I stopped looking for stuff wrong with the movie. And realized I was enjoying myself with it. John Turturro would pop in and say something funny and spice things up. Lesbian porn chicks were side characters and they'd makeout and show cleavage. I liked that too. And an hour into it... I wasn't bored. I dug it fine. And some things were really funny.
One problem that kept coming up for me believe it or not- was Sandler. Somehow this schticky mumbly nice guy with bubbling up anger seemed too old hat to me. I know alot of people might say that that character got old after Billy Madison, but people who appreciate Sandler will probably get what I'm saying. I think it's done. He made it through this movie with it ok... but it seems like time to move on. Into what I have no idea. But this character is played out. Jack Nicholson ended up carrying the movie and he annoyed me again with his talents. Bastard. Dick.
Three Good Things About this Movie
- Hot lesbian chicks make out and show cleavage.
- A fat kitty cat named 'Meatball' wore sweaters and sweatshirts.
- Turturro is probably the fun-est side character in movies. I'm always half
laughing at him before he even says what he's gonna say.
Three Bad Things About this Movie
- There were lots more little chuckles than outright laughs.
- For a movie that centered around anger I could have used some more over the
top angry outbursts.
- Lots of cameos but no Steve Buscemi or Rob Schneider.
All in all this isn't a movie that you need to see in the theater. It's a perfectly fine rental. But if you need to get away and kill and hour and a half this movie does the job just fine. It does have some laughs. It's stupid sure. But it's 'stupid' spelled correctly. Not 'stoopid'. It's stupid on a level that doesn't make you feel stupid for watching it and liking it. At least it didn't for me. But then again... I might be kinda stupid. So keep that in mind.