Within the witlessness and crudeness is a touching (or mawkish, depending on your perspective) romantic comedy trying to get out.
50 First Dates (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:10
Fresh:6
Rotten:4
Average Rating:5.2/10
Consensus: Gross-out humor overwhelms the easy chemistry between Sandler and Barrymore.
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Scatological and sentimental, satirical and sincere, 50 FIRST DATES pairs Adam Sandler with Drew Barrymore in this romantic comedy about the power of love and short-term memory loss in Hawaii.... Scatological and sentimental, satirical and sincere, 50 FIRST DATES pairs Adam Sandler with Drew Barrymore in this romantic comedy about the power of love and short-term memory loss in Hawaii. Henry Roth (Sandler), the local marina veterinarian, only dates tourists because he's afraid of commitment--that is, until he meets Lucy (Barrymore). Unfortunately, Lucy lost her short-term memory months ago in a car accident, and for her, each day is October the 13th. She follows the same routine every day--breakfast at the same restaurant, pineapple-picking with her dad, and eventually bed time, where sleep wipes away her short-term memory. Henry, however, refuses to be forgotten, and as his puppy love matures, he embarks on a quest to restore her memory, or at least be a part of her everyday routine. But vying for Lucy's attention isn't always easy. Sandler explores various neophytic approaches before making a video for Lucy to watch every morning, reminding her of who she is and what she's doing. The film includes a trademark Sandler ballad as Henry serenades Lucy with his ukulele and a series of familiar salacious puns. Rob Schneider plays Henry's best friend, a goofy native stoner whose physical hijinks earn numerous laughs, and a cameo by Dan Akroyd as Lucy's doctor rounds out the cast. [More]
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin
Starring: Drew Barrymore, Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd, Amy Hill, Missi Pyle, Blake Clark, Luisa Strus
Director: Peter Segal
Director: Peter Segal
Screenwriter: George Wing
Producer: Jack Giarruputo, Steve Golin, Nancy Juvonen, Daniel Lupi, Adam Sandler, Larry Kennan
Composer: Teddy Castellucci
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Reviews for 50 First Dates
Quite what age group this soft-centered entertainment is aimed at is hard to divine.
The spark between the stars and a surprisingly thoughtful screenplay ensures that, despite the odd gross-out misstep, this is a sweet, warm and funny romantic comedy.
Vast majority of the humor is so grotesquely obvious and crudely presented (in addition to being mildly crude in and of itself) that Sandler dissenters are guaranteed to remain just where they are.
The movie doesn't have the complexity and depth of Groundhog Day, but as entertainment it's ingratiating and lovable.
What starts out looking like another crude, bullying Adam Sandler extravaganza ends up as a surprisingly graceful and impressively daring romantic comedy.
50 First Dates has nothing going for it -- and much going against it.
Although its goofy high-concept premise won't bear much scrutiny, it offers a less predictable ride than their first pairing, and lush Hawaiian locations to boot.
This pedestrian pic starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore never gets out of neutral, and should have been left in park -- back in the junkyard.
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