Where's that f*ing remote

I'll be damned if I walk to the TV

Click

Starring: Adam Sndler and Kate Beckinsale

Director: Frank Coraci

Rated: PG - 13

A universal remote, Adam Sandler, David Hasselhoff, Rachel Dratch, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken and a Rob Schneider cameo as an Arab prince is apparently the recipe for this summer's "laugh your ass off" comedy. Sandler has failed to disappoint again with Click. The publicity doesn't do the film justice and can be a bit misleading, insinuating that this is a purely slapstick comedy. Click delivers unbelievable comedy that at times can resort to early-Sandler downright vulgarity but the film also takes a dramatic turn towards the middle that is surprisingly well orchestrated. Much like in Spanglish, Sandler slips in a touching moral message amidst all of the comedy.

Sandler plays Michael Newman, a workaholic architect who comes into contact with a universal remote that allows him to fast forward/rewind/pause his life at his discretion in order to better handle all of his daily duties. Complications arise when the remote control begins to overrule his choices and his life begins to literally pass him by. Major decisions are being made without his authorization and before he knows it, he's an old man, estranged to his own family. Don't worry the ending isn't nearly as depressing as it sounds but the film does span the length of Newman's life. If it sounds like a reworking of A Christmas Carol don't worry; it isn't but it does have a similar very broad framework. Again, don't worry, you will not be disappointed. Somehow it works. Director Frank Coraci (Wedding Singer, The Waterboy) cleverly explores dark issues like death, aging, lost love, loneliness and abandonment from a comfortable yet impacting distance. The film skillfully balances its comedy with ethics. This is one of Sandler's better films of the past few years. Go see it!

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