‘The Do-Over’ Netflix Original Review

The Do-Over opens with Charlie McMillan’s (David Spade) 25 year high school reunion. The hits of 1991 pump over a highly intoxicated crowd as the king and queen of their senior prom are called to the center of the gymnasium to do a dance. We, the viewers, are treated to the inner thoughts of Charlie as he narrates the scene, kindly letting us know what is happening.

Through the narration, it quickly becomes apparent that Charlie’s life is terrible. He’s raising awful children, married to the prom queen who is having an affair with the prom king, he’s managing a bank inside a grocery store, and has driven the same car for 25 years (a Gremlin, somehow). Charlie’s life takes an instant turn when long lost high school buddy Max “Maxi-pad” Kessler (Adam Sandler) shows up.

The reunion is rife with nostalgia and as Max reveals he has fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming an FBI agent, Charlie realizes he is not where he hoped to be by this time.  Cue the mid-life crisis and Charlie saying he could use a ‘do-over’.

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The Do-Over has a very specific audience in mind. I am not part of that audience. I can say the movie is beautifully shot and both Adam Sandler and David Spade deliver some of the better performances of their careers. Spade’s narration recalls The Emperor’s New Groove at times, which is quite amusing. Michael Chiklis over-acts a scene as a gunshot victim and it is quite apparent his entire motivation was to make Sandler and Spade laugh during filming.

Aside from those highlights, the movie mistakes screaming for drama and cursing for humor. It is an easy film that follows a very familiar formula. The movie does a very good M. Night Shyamalan impression with a third act twist…then another…then another. The story is formulaic to a fault and the humor, if it can be called such, relies on homophobia, misogyny, and tired gross-out bits.

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Throughout the movie the audience is left to wonder if any thought was put into the experience. It is well noted that Sandler and his Happy Madison production company treat these movies as paid vacations and this film feels like it was pieced together on the flight to Puerto Rico. It is a throwback film using hilariously dated references like Max calling Charlie ‘Sonny Bono’ due to his height, the two use radio call signs ‘Kojak’ and ‘Columbo’, Charlie wears a floral patterned shirt and asks if it is ‘too Magnum’.  Like I said, I am not the intended audience for this film and what is uses as funny references will fall a bit flat for anyone who cannot remember the 80s.

The entire film panders to a wish fulfillment fantasy for those currently experiencing a mid-life crisis. I suspect that audience stops caring pretty soon after Bud-Lite product placement becomes distracting. Between the recycled sex jokes, absurd homophobic jokes, aggressive womanizing, and meaningless twists the viewer is left with a buddy comedy that offers nothing new. Happy Madison has attempted to put together a raunchy comedy and landed flat.

Netflix Review
10%

SUMMARY

The entire film panders to a wish fulfillment fantasy for those currently experiencing a mid-life crisis.

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