Adam Sandler's comedy movies have ranged from the brilliant to the terrible, and one of the latter - according to critics - has now become a huge hit after being added to the Hulu library. Grown Ups was released in 2010 and proved to be a massive box office success that did not receive the same kind of love in its reviews. However, as has become common, that has not stopped the film finding a new audience with its arrival on a new streaming platform.
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Grown Ups certainly has plenty of big names in the cast, including Chris Rock, Salma Hayek, Kevin James, and Rob Schneider, but that did not help secure a positive reaction from critics. The story centers on a group of childhood friends who come together after the death of their basketball coach. Spending a summer together at a lake house proves to be problematic for many of them, with arguments breaking out and all kinds of chaos ensuing in the usual style associated with many of Sandler's movies. However, things turn out pretty much OK in the end - and the film proved to be enough of a hit to see a sequel released in 2013.
Not quite his worst rated movie, critics still took plenty of chunks out of Grown Ups, with many calling it an "excruciating waste of talent" and having only a few "passable gags" to get it by. Like many of Sandler's comedies of the 2010s, the film really did not do anything new, sticking to a tried and tested formula that saw it secure just a 10% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, which instigated comments panning the film as being "lazy" in its execution.
✕ Remove Ads Adam Sandler is Looking to Nostalgia with Upcoming Sequel Close
While Grown Ups 2 landed even worse with critics than its predecessor (8% on the Tomatometer), audiences were relatively happy with both movies. Grown Ups scored 64%, while the sequel dipped a little to 53%, but neither was the disaster that critics saw them as. Now it looks like Sandler is hoping that his next movie sequel will bring him some love on Netflix.
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That sequel would be Happy Gilmore 2, the long awaited sequel to his early 1996 hit. The original movie gave Sandler one of his best rated films, something which still rings true, and although there have been a lot of rumors about a sequel in the past, only through his current deal with Netflix has it finally come to fruition. The only question is whether the last three decades will have dampened audiences' desire for a new Happy Gilmore movie. Sandler's recent big successes - in streaming volumes if not always on a review level - suggest that there couldn't be a better time for him to return to some of his past glories.
Related Why the Murder Mystery Movies Are Adam Sandler's Best Comedies Since the '90s
Adam Sandler movies didn't stop being funny after the year 2000, but something we didn't know was missing was found in the Murder Mystery franchise.
Currently, there is still a big love affair going on between audiences and nostalgic legacy sequels, so Sandler's return to one of the movies that made him a huge star in the 1990s seems like a no-brainer. With several stars from the original film returning, and the might of Netflix behind him, it would be difficult to bet against another Sandler success being on the cards.
✕ Remove Ads Grown Ups pg-13Comedy Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date June 24, 2010 Director Dennis Dugan Cast Adam Sandler , Kevin James , Chris Rock , David Spade , Rob Schneider , Salma Hayek Pinault , Maria Bello , Maya Rudolph , Joyce Van Patten , Ebony Jo-Ann , Di Quon , Steve Buscemi , Colin Quinn , Tim Meadows , Madison Riley , Jamie Chung , Ashley Loren , Jake Goldberg , Cameron Boyce , Alexys Nycole Sanchez , Ada-Nicole Sanger , Frank Gingerich , Morgan Gingerich , Nadji Jeter , China Anne McClain , Dan Patrick , Tim Herlihy , Blake Clark , Norm Macdonald , Jonathan Loughran , Kevin Grady , Richie Minervini , Jackie Sandler , Sadie Sandler , Sunny Sandler , Dennis Dugan Runtime 102 Minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers Adam Sandler , Fred Wolf Budget $80 million Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Columbia Pictures , Sony Sequel(s) Grown Ups 2 Character(s) Lenny Feder , Eric Lamonsoff , Kurt McKenzie , Marcus Higgins , Rob Hilliard , Roxanne Chase-Feder , Sally Lamonsoff , Deanne McKenzie , Gloria , Mama Ronzoni , Rita , Wiley , Dickie Bailey , Malcolm , Jasmine Hilliard , Amber Hilliard , Bridget Hilliard , Greg Feder , Keithie Feder , Becky Feder , Donna Lamonsoff , Bean Lamonsoff , Andre McKenzie , Charlotte McKenzie , Norby The Ride Guy , Pastor , Bobby Buzzer Ferdinando , Geezer , Robideaux , Muzby , Tardio , Tardio's Wife , Tardio's Daughter , Referee Expand