50 First Dates

REVIEW
After the sundry charms of The Wedding Singer, maybe it was too much to expect that a Sandler-Barrymore reunion would capture a similar magic. While the chemistry is still there in this equally sentimental romantic comedy, Sandler's preferred lowbrow gags are out in such force as to quash any remaining goodwill. In a scientific stretch (if Memento gets a pass, then so should this), Barrymore plays a young Hawaiian who, thanks to a car accident, wakes up each morning thinking it's her dad's birthday (no, not Groundhog Day). Sandler is a ladies' man who finally thinks of settling down when he meets this difficult catch. Of course, each morning he must struggle with how to re-meet her and inform her of their budding relationship. If the film was nothing more than 50 Meet Cutes it might have worked, and there is a certain poignancy to the notion of waking up every morning to find that your romantic dreams have come true. But then comes the poorly timed sophomoric humor, like clockwork, to ruin it. Walrus vomit? Check. Rob Schneider bleeding from a shark bite? Check. Adam Sandler hurting his balls? Double check. Even the modest success of The Wedding Singer now seems a total fluke, as Sandler is apparently content unambitiously catering to the 15-and-under crowd.