Grown Ups
The brief
This feels like peak "Adam Sandler and his buddies got paid to hang out" energy, where the cast seems to be having way more fun than you will watching them. The comedy relies heavily on fat jokes, slapstick pratfalls, and the kind of lazy writing that assumes nostalgia alone will carry 102 minutes of screen time. Chris Rock delivers a few genuine laughs, but he's mostly wasted alongside Sandler's aggressively goofy dad character and Kevin James doing his usual physical comedy shtick. Perfect if you're looking for completely mindless background noise or have serious nostalgia for early 2010s mainstream comedy at its most formulaic.
The verdict
If you have a high tolerance for lazy slapstick and just want to watch Adam Sandler and his friends goof around without any real plot or clever writing, this is perfectly adequate background entertainment. If you expect actual comedy craftsmanship or can't stomach relentless fat jokes and formulaic pratfalls, skip this entirely and rewatch a genuinely funny ensemble comedy instead.
Watch with
- 👥 Friends who enjoy turn-your-brain-off comedy
- 🧒 Kids who like physical comedy
- ⚠️ Skip if you want sophisticated humor
Heads up
- Frequent fat-shaming and body jokes (frequent)
- Mild sexual humor and innuendo (moderate)
- Some crude bathroom humor (moderate)
Credits
- Director
- Dennis Dugan
- Cast
- Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek Pinault, Maria Bello
Official synopsis
After their high school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Scary Movie (2026)
Both comedies spoof familiar genres with ensemble casts and nostalgic humor.
