Blended

Adam Sandler has played so many idiotic characters that it’s difficult to take the messages of his films seriously. He was pro-gay in I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007) and the film was quickly dismissed. He even pleaded for peace vis-a-vis the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in You Don’t Miss With The Zohan (2008), which had people wondering why he’d “go there” amidst all the hummus jokes.

His latest, Blended, is by no means serious, but it clearly wants single parents to know there’s still someone out there for them if they open their hearts. Sandler plays Jim, a father of three girls whose wife died of cancer. Jim is a loving and dedicated father, but his daughters are tomboys in desperate need of a mother. Drew Barrymore’s Lauren is divorced from distant scumbag Mark (Joel McHale), leaving her boys in desperate need of a father.

Jim and Lauren are set up on a blind date. It goes horribly. Hate one another as they do, fate keeps bringing them together. First they meet cute in a pharmacy. Then a credit card misunderstanding brings him to her place. They both luck into a safari adventure in Africa, and they’re staying at the same resort.

Extended time in Africa gives director Frank Coraci (Click) and writers Ivan Menchell and Clare Sera ample opportunity for fresh laughs, so it’s a shame the results are inconsistent. Concierge Mfana (Abdoulaye Ngom) gets a few yuks from malapropisms, while muscleman Terry Crews headlines the on-site entertainment by hammin’ it up with song and dance. Some of these scenes play too long, however, which does Crews a disservice. The same could be said for Eddy (Kevin Nealon) and Ginger (Jessica Lowe), a sexed-up couple Jim and Lauren meet, works best in small doses.

As the leads, Sandler and Barrymore have an endearing chemistry that effectively provides the heart of the story. Sandler has occasionally stepped away from his goofball persona to play other characters, but those instances were helmed by established directors who knew how to manipulate Sandler’s performance for the benefit of the film (e.g. James L. Brooks in Spanglish).Blended, in contrast, gives us the Sandler we’re used to, only a little older and wiser, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Don’t worry: He still finds time to ride an ostrich and get run over by a parachute. Boys will always be boys, after all.

BLENDED (2 1/2) Directed by Frank Coraci • Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Kevin Nealon, Terry Crews, Wendy McLendon-Covey • Rated PG-13 • 117 mins • At Century Cinemas Del Monte, Maya Cinemas, Northridge Cinemas, Lighthouse Cinemas.