Hollywood Popular Artists

Jun 15th 2012, 12:00

The reviews have not been kind on "That's My Boy," Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg's raunchfest hitting theaters today (June 15). It boasts an absurd premise — an adolescent knocks up his math teacher and is left to raise their son, Han Solo, to disastrous results — and more F-bombs than any movie should rightfully have.

But despite myself, I couldn't help but enjoy the hell out of Sandler's latest. It feels like a return to form for the comedian, a callback to all the outrageous potty humor that made him famous in the first place. If his "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore" antics were never for you, then you're not going to find much to enjoy here. But if those movies are staples of your comedy-viewing history, then "That's My Boy" undoubtedly has some guilty laughs in store for you. Here are five reasons to see the movie this weekend.

"What The Hell Happened To" Adam Sandler?
"Jack and Jill" this is not. "That's My Boy" takes full advantage of its R rating. Boobs, booze and bad words are all over this comedy. Whether or not that's your thing is a matter of personal taste, but fans of old school Sandler and his comedy albums should feel right at home here. No, there are no talking goats in this movie, but the over-the-top Donny Berger should make up for the oversight.

Andy Samberg, The Not So Lonely Island
The former "SNL" player gets second billing here, allowing him the chance to share lots of screen time with one of his comedy heroes. His enthusiasm is infectious. Samberg's having lots of fun playing in the Sandbox and it shows. Wouldn't you be having fun too if your name was Han Solo Berger?

A Little Donny Goes A Long Way
As much as Sandler and Samberg own the show, it's the opening scenes with young Donny wooing his math teacher (or is it the other way around?) that stand out as some of the film's funniest moments. It's all a little too lewd to fill out an entire movie probably, but sign me up for wanting to see the further adventures of teenage Donny and the morbidly obese Han Solo.

The Unsung Hero
Actually, the film's real scene-stealer isn't who you would expect. It's not Will Forte, it's not Ciara, and it's not Vanilla Ice, even though all of them have their moments to shine. It's "Heroes" star Milo Ventimiglia as straight-laced marine Chad who comes out of "That's My Boy" with the most unexpected comedy chops of them all. You wouldn't think the erstwhile Peter Petrelli would be a big source of laughs, but trust me, he's got the goods. The less said about his character's late-game twist, the better. Trust me, his performance alone is worth the price of admission.

Cameos, Cameos, Cameos
We won't list any of them. Suffice it to say, prison life has been very generous to Han Solo's mother.

Tell us what you think of "That's My Boy" in the comments below or on Twitter!

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