Review:Jack and Jill

There are...no words...

Let this be a lesson to you kids; never decide to go to the movies whilst intoxicated. If you do, you have no one to blame but yourself when you accidentally stumble upon a cinematic abomination like Adam Sandler's latest disasterpiece, Jack and Jill. 

The conceit of the movie is a holiday family piece. Jack (Adam Sandler) is not looking forward to his twin sister Jill coming to visit. Jill (played by Adam Sandler in the worst drag seen on screen since Eddie Murphy in The Klumps) is loud, overbearing and obnoxious which explains why Adam Sandler decided to cast himself in the role. Much of the movie's stumbling stabs at comedy come from Sandler's Jack playing the world weary straight man to Sandler's Jill as she bumbles through  socially awkward situations ripped wholesale from 1980's family movies. 

The bad humor and unfunny drag show are grating and miserable but they are not the worst things about this movie. The worst thing about this movie is the boldface sincerity in which it is told. Under heaps of fart jokes, poorly timed slapstick, and wacky misunderstandings, the movie has the asinine gall to try and tell a sincere story about loving your family for who they are. 

Once again, Adam Sandler sabotages his own legacy as an actor and as a comedian. Click, Spanglish and Reign Over Me were movies that tried to establish Sandler as a capable actor but his latest films completely destroy his reputation. 

Ultimately, I think one of Sandler's movies said it best...

That just about sums it up. But hey, if  you're looking for a way to sober up after a night on the town, there is no more sobering a movie.

Rating: .5/5 (By virtue of the fact that it existed) 

Review:Angels and Airwaves:Love 2

Tom DeLonge has been a very busy man lately. When he's not touring with recently reformed blink-182 promoting their new album Neighborhoods, he's serving as the creative force behind his side project, Angels and Airwaves. Formed shortly after blink-182's initial dissolution, Angels and Airwaves has recently released their fourth studio album, Love2. 

While not an overall bad album, Love2 seriously brings into question Tom Delonge's abilities as a song writer. The main thing lacking from Love2 is originality; not only are the tracks indistinguishable from one another, they are also indistinguishable from other Angels and Airwaves songs. The most glaring example of this is "Surrender" which uses a similar riffing pastern and chord structure as "Everything's Magic" off of their second album. The songwriting is very typical of Angels and Airwaves past works and nothing really pushes the envelope musically. 

Having said that, I can't say I dislike the album. DeLonge's signature vocal stylings soar over punchy riffs and crisp, tight beats. If anything, Angels and Airwaves retains the ability to write catchy hooks and infectious choruses. The whole album has a surreal, dreamy feel to it that makes it paradoxically energizing and relaxing. 

Love2 is nothing new for the band. If you're already a fan of Angels and Airwaves or blink-182, chances are you'll like this album too. On the other hand, this album isn't going to create new Angels and Airwaves fans. 

And Tom? On the slim chance you're reading this now, please take a break. Two albums in one year have got  to put a strain on your creativity and it's starting to show. 

Rating

Music: 3/5

Lyrics: 3/5

Overall: 3/5

Overall, solidly constructed if a bit repetitive and derivative of earlier works.