I borrowed Click from my co-worker, who was quick to buy it for her vast collection. I like Adam Sandler, but like Will Ferrell, his movies are hit and miss for me. I love Happy Gilmore and 50 First Dates, for example, but I hate Mr. Deeds and Little Nicky.
I did like Click because it was sweet, but this movie was made before, just without the novel concept of the mysterious universal remote control. Allow me to explain.
First: the obligatory plot summary. Sandler plays Michael Newman, who's an overworked architect. He believes a bunch of empty promises from his annoying boss (played by the annoying David Hasselhoff) and does whatever he asks, in the meantime ignoring his wife and children. When he decides that he must simplify his life through the purchase of a universal remote control, he finds Morty (played by Christopher Walken) at a local Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Morty introduces Michael to something far more universal: a remote that can control Michael's life. With the push of a button, he can mute the dog or fast forward through arguments or rewind down memory lane.
Of course, with something so powerful at his fingertips, Michael abuses the remote. Determined to skip to all the good parts, Michael freely uses the remote, until he realizes, as Morty keeps popping up to explain to him, that the remote programs itself based on Michael's past choices. So, if Michael fast forwards through sickness to the point at which he gets better, that happens automatically everytime he gets sick. The remote soon has a mind of its own, and Michael discovers that he's missed much more of life than he intended or decides he wanted.
And of course, a movie like Click has a happy ending, where Michael gets a second chance and makes the right choices. If you're mad that I spoiled it, consider: would you really expect anything else? After all, can anyone say "It's a Wonderful Life" for the new millenium? This movie's been made before, without the added bonus of the family dog's fixation for this huge stuffed duck...
Click was charming if not altogether original, but it was hard for me to buy Sandler as a family man with such a supportive wife (Kate Beckinsale) and idyllic children. I still expect him to say things like, "The price is wrong, bitch!" He did throw some temper tantrums in this one too, but it seems to me that this character should have been played by a more mature actor who's not known for being the sweet but short-tempered goof that Sandler usually plays.
Morty was an odd character to begin with, but played by Christopher Walken, he was not only odd but also creepy and weird. While I certainly appreciate the new take on "what if life could be different" with the novel idea of a universal remote control for life, the storyline was only propelled forward by these random and altogether too frequent appearances of this character. It was really distracting, and I watched this movie in two parts mostly because of it.
There was a sweetness to this movie, though, even it was flawed at its core. Sandler can be sweet, and he had some of that sweetness here. Appearances by Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner (Marge Simpson!) as Michael's parents were very nice, including the storyline centered on the magic quarter. The kids they found were also so cute, and the focus on family was endearing.
To that end, I rate this movie a 7 (shaky), because I did enjoy it to some extent and because it had some originality, though that was limited to the remote control concept. It was not a particularly well made movie, though, even of the Sandler ilk (though it did beat Littly Nicky and Mr. Deeds by spades). I don't know that it passes the test, though. I can't really see myself buying it, though I would probably watch it again on cable where it will inevitably end up. Fits the whole remote control motif anyway.