Adam Sandler

CHICAGO – Nowhere near as abysmal as some of Adam Sandler’s worst comedies and yet also not nearly as good as it could or should have been, “Grown Ups” might make a reasonable rental on a late fall evening but don’t get your expectations too high. Sandler may be trying to grow up with his comedy friends but a lazy script and horrendous direction by regular collaborator Dennis Dugan hold back what should have been one of the stronger comedy ensembles of the year.

CHICAGO – It may be called “Grown Ups,” but too much of the new Adam Sandler ensemble comedy feels like it was written by an eight-year-old boy. The believable friendship chemistry that Sandler has with co-stars Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, and Rob Schneider significantly ups the entertainment value, but “Grown Ups” could have and should have been much better.

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Kurt McKenzie (Chris Rock), Marcus Higgins (David Spade), Eric Lamonsoff (Kevin James), Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler) and Rob Hilliard (Rob Schneider).

CHICAGO – This 35-image slideshow contains all of the official press images for the highly anticipated “Grown Ups,” starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Maria Bello, and Maya Rudolph. The film was written by Sandler & Fred Wolf and directed by Dennis Dugan. It will be released on June 25th, 2010.

CHICAGO – Whatever problems I may have with Judd Apatow’s “Funny People” (and I’ll get to those, trust me), the Blu-Ray release for the comedy is easily one of the most extensive and impressive of the year with hours of bonus material and some amazing archival footage that makes the package a must-own for fans of the film. If only the movie itself lived up to such an impressive HD treatment.

CHICAGO – You won’t find the kind of diversity that exists in HollywoodChicago.com’s Blu-Ray Round-Up too many places online. Where else can modern sci-fi mingle with quarter-century-old genre product and hang out with Oscar winners and slapstick comedies? Nowhere.

CHICAGO – Adam Sandler can lay claim to another #1 film with this weekend’s opening of “Funny People,” co-starring Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill, and Jason Schwartzman, but the box office win was bittersweet as the film failed to deliver either by the standards of its star or even its acclaimed writer/director Judd Apatow.

CHICAGO – Judd Apatow’s “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann, is like watching a friend try out a new stand-up routine. As with a lot of attempts at trying something untested, it doesn’t quite work out, but you have to admire the effort, if not the execution.

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(L to R) Seth Rogen as Ira, writer/director/producer Judd Apatow and Adam Sandler as George.

CHICAGO – This 30-image slideshow contains the official press images for “Funny People,” starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aubrey Plaza, and Aziz Ansari. It was written and directed by Judd Apatow. The film opens on July 31st, 2009.

CHICAGO – It has been a very busy July at HollywoodChicago.com and a few high profile titles have slipped through the cracks of our Blu-Ray coverage. We can’t leave any HD stone unturned, so we wanted to play catch-up and make sure you know about these releases via the legendary Blu-Ray Round-Up column.

Blu-Ray Rating: 3.5/5.0

CHICAGO – Adam Shankman’s “Bedtime Stories” is far from perfect but it also was undeservedly lambasted by critics. Is this great family fare? Heck no, but I’d still take this variation of Sandler’s persona over his cartoonish characters in most of his silly comedies and the movie has an easy-going likability that’s hard to deny. The Blu-Ray leaves a lot to be desired but the movie itself is probably better than you think.