Synopsis
Adam Sandler plays Dave Buznik, an introverted executive who internalizes all of his anger.His life spins out of control when, on a business flight, a simple request for headphones leadsto his being charged with assault. He is obliged to submit to anger management therapy, underthe direction of the deeply unorthodox Jack Nicholson, whose role in life seems to be to makeSandler as miserable as possible. The set-up is extremely promising, the two leads clearly havegrea… fun bouncing off each other, and there are some very funny moments. There aren’t enoughsuch moments, however, and the ending is cringe-inducing in its saccharine sentiment.Entertaining, but should have been so much more.
Audio
The sound is more like Sandler’s character than Nicholson’s: low-key rather than bombastic.The music is fine, though not as loud-‘n-proud as the chosen songs might suggest. The soundeffects are muted, though there are some good, if subtle, environmental strategies (thebackground noise of the airplane, for instance). The dialogue is what strides forth, however, anddoes so without any distortion whatever.
Video
A very sharp 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer.. The flesh tones are terrific. There isno grain, edge enhancement, or other transfer flaws. The colours are very natural, and the blacksare deep and solid. The night scenes have strong contrasts, and never get bleached gray. A bright,attractive looking picture, as sharp as one could possibly wish.
Special Features
God save us from commentaries of this sort. Sandler and director Peter Segal sit down andgoof around. You have to wade through endless silly banter to gather anything pertinent on thefilm. “Skull Session” is an 18-minute featurette, and is okay, as promotional material goes. “MyBuddy, Jack” is four minutes of people going on about what a great guy Jack Nicholson is. Thebloopers reel contains a fair bit of footage already on display in “Skull Session.” The trailer isaccompanied by trailers for nine other movies. The “Do You Have Anger Problems” game is,like most other DVD games, lame. There are four deleted scenes, and there is also an Easter Eggon this menu: move the cursor up to land on one of the electric razors, and you get a short bit ofSandler telling a joke and feeding a dog. The menu is full scored and animated, and becomesfunnier once the movie has been seen.
Closing Thoughts
The film should have been stronger, and the same goes for the largely uninformative extras.Good picture and sound, though, and the movie is still a perfectly acceptable 106 minutes.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- “Skull Sessions” Featurette
- “My Buddy, Jack” Featurette
- Deleted Scenes
- Gag Reel
- “Do You Have Anger Problems” Game
- Trailers
- Easter Egg
