Click

Click ***

"Click" is the result when you take the usual crude humor of Adam Sandler, with the valuable life lessons of "It's a Wonderful Life," and "A Christmas Carol." However, the latter ends up overriding the former, and "Click" turns out to be the warmest, kindest, and ultimately most depressing Sandler film of all time. This is no "Anger Management" where the biggest laughs involve stealing a cane from a blind man. First off, Sandler's character has a family. . . and children. . . whoa. I'm guessing that it's suppose to parallel his own life, where in the last year or so he ended up taking a plunge and getting hitched. I guess it's alright that he's finally "growing up."

Here, Sandler plays Mike Newman, a workaholic family man whose busy schedule and promise of becoming a partner at his company never allows him to see his family. This annoys his wife Donna, and his son and daughter. He does, then, promise them that they will go for a camping trip in the woods for the Forth of July weekend, but his horrible boss ends up putting him on a massive assignment which will consume the entire vacation. So, he rainchecks the trip, and begins his work. When he can't find the remote control to put the television on, he decides to go out and get a universal remote just like the rival neighbors the O'Doyle's have. But, nothing is open in the middle of the night, except for Bed, Bath and Beyond. Inside, Mike finds a door marked "Beyond" and inside he finds Morty, an eccentric professor who gives Mike a universal clicker, under one condition: that the remote control can never be returned. So, Mike goes home, and begins to find out that the remote doesn't only control his television, it controls his entire life. He can pause, fast forward, rewind, everything around him. He can revisit any moment in his past that he wants. He can fast forward through arguments, mute the dog in the middle of the night, and even jump ahead to his promotion. However, eventually he starts to fast forward so much that the remote ends up setting itself to his preferences. Whenever an argument starts, it'll jump ahead, and whenever the sparks of a new promotion arises, it'll jump ahead. Eventually, he starts to miss things, and his life constantly changes, and he can't return the item to stop it.

"Click" has a strong comedy first hour, and then it delves into heavy drama. It teaches an important life lesson: that family comes first, and we can't fast forward through life. It's important to stop and smell the roses from time to time. Sandler is his usually witty self. I still don't mind him or his movies, they are fun to watch once a year. Kate Beckinsale is her usual stunning self as well, and David Hasselhoff is the perfect candidate as Mike's pain in the ass boss. He isn't a great actor, hell he's not even a very good one, and it's nice to see him make fun of himself. And as usual, Christopher Walken can pretty much do anything. "Click" will make you laugh, and maybe even shed a few tears. You’ll see. The idea that an Adam Sandler movie can make your eyes wet seems impossible, but "Click" changes that. But it still doesn't stop Sandler from cutting one in Hasselhoff's face. I guess some things never change. . .