Catalog "Click" with the many high-concept, weak-development movies in which all of the jokes are stuffed into the trailer.
"Click" also batters to death the most cliche-driven theme of the decade's "family" comedies -- that a hard-working dad is remiss for putting in overtime while missing the leisure activities of his plainly spoiled children.
Does anyone in Hollywood know what a recent phenomenon parental obsession with organized children's activities isâ¢
Adam Sandler acts junk-food-addicted architect Michael Newman, husband of Donna (Kate Beckinsale), son of Ted (Henry Winkler) and Trudy (Julie Kavner), and father of a daughter and a son (six performers at three ages).
Under contrived circumstances that any viewer of "The Wizard of Oz" will recognize immediately, Michael meets Morty (Christopher Walken in characteristic weird mode) and unwittingly stumbles into a Faustian bargain involving a magical Universal remote control.
Michael can use the clicker -- here comes the high concept, folks -- to freeze-frame reality and use each protracted moment repeatedly to attack people, kicking them in the groin and so on.
He also can fast-forward through inconveniences -- daily showers, work, illnesses, domestic arguments. It's explained, at least, that others experience him as being on automatic pilot during such stretches of weeks, months and then years.
His gizmo addiction inevitably leads to his loss of control. The clicker leaps forward through time of its own accord.
Many a fine film ("Heaven Can Wait," "Defending Your Life," "Carousel") involves a belated review of one's life, but "Click" is never sincerely introspective or even superficially entertaining.
The first three-quarters hammers the audience relentlessly with bathroom jokes -- flatulence, crude remarks by children and especially doggie misbehavior.
Then it has the gall to sentimentalize to embarrassing degrees the relationships it has until now treated superficially and with cheap jokes.
On the basis of the trailer, I suspected "Click" might be amusing in the manner of broad-interest family comedies. Instead it just made me want to grab the Universal remote control and zap straight to the foregone finish.
- In wide release.
Additional Information:
Details
'Click' Rated PG-13 for language, crude and sex-related humor and some drug references;
