Friends shouldn’t let friends make movies... with all their friends in it - and I do mean all their friends. The merry band of Happy Madison misfits has expanded greatly since the 90s, and ‘Grown Ups 2’ is the result of that expansion. After the original film grossed well over $200 million, it was no wonder they've come back for round two. The entire cast has returned with the exception of Rob Schneider (apparently due to scheduling conflicts - although what else that man has going for him is mind boggling). Schneider has been replaced by the latest Sandler protégé, Nick Swardson, who plays a possibly sexually confused, drunk and crazy school bus driver, aptly named Nick.
SWITCH: GROWN UPS 2 TRAILER
Set three years after ‘Grown Ups’, the sequel finds the Feders now living in the ‘burbs, where kids can be kids and old friends hang out at K-Mart all day. Taking place over a single day, it’s the last day of school and the first day of summer - there’s dance recitals to go to, jobs to avoid, childhood fears to confront, frat guys to fight and a last-minute 80s-themed party to set up, apparently.
Once again, all the fun clearly had behind the scenes just doesn't translate on screen. The majority of the jokes are too long and too awkward. In comedy, timing is everything, and here it appears to be a little off. However, even a broken clock is correct twice a day - there are more laughs here than expected, but still far too few to consider it a home run. Already catching up to its predecessor in terms of box-office dollars, clearly the biggest drawcard here is the cast, so fans rejoice - they’re all here and up to the same old tricks.