Click Movie Review

It seems only fitting that Adam Sandler, who has made a career of being the quintessential every-guy, would pilot a movie about the greatest invention for men -- the remote control. But Click isn't about the eternal struggle for who controls the all powerful remote. Instead, it's about all of the trouble Sandler can cause with this seemingly uncomplicated little device.

Sandler plays Michael, a workaholic architect who spends more time satisfying the whims of his demanding boss (David Hasselhoff) than he does with his family. Michael cancels camping trips with his kids and rushes (foolishly) through love-making sessions with his wife Donna (Kate Beckinsale) just so he can inch closer to that partnership he covets. Michael is out of control and out of the loop on everything going on at home. He can't even distinguish his television remote from the one that controls his garage.

Michael's young children suggest that a universal remote control will make his life less complicated. Michael's journey for simplicity lands him in an odd place: Bed, Bath & Beyond! In the store's back room, referred to as the way-beyond, Michael meets Morty (Christopher Walken), a crack scientist on the cutting edge of inventiveness. Morty gives Michael a space-age, glowing blue remote control. This remote does more than flip between sports and porn. It actually controls life in the most unpredictable and outlandish ways. With the remote, Michael can alter his life in every way imaginable: He mutes the barking dog; he presses slow-motion on the big busted jogger; he pauses a fight with Donna so he can rewind back to remember "their song"; and he fast-forwards to his upcoming promotion.

Initially, Michael alters relatively harmless aspects of his life with little consequence. It's these moments of Click that generate the most fun. But eventually the remote takes complete control, throwing Michael's life (and the film itself) into autopilot. Somehow the remote remembers how Michael reacted in similar situations in the past and executes the same preferences without giving him the opportunity to change course. As you can imagine, disastrous consequences arise. At this point, Click becomes completely out of control in a futile attempt to hold together its one joke. Any humor is so overplayed that the fun is gone.

Eventually, Click morphs into a painfully morose version of It's a Wonderful Life as Michael relives the life he missed while on autopilot. Are we supposed to sympathize with Michael now that the tides have turned on him? He's certainly no George Bailey. In fact, it's hard to sympathize with a man who intentionally chooses to abandon his beautiful family by way of a nonsensical remote control. Surely Frank Capra is rolling over in his grave at the worthless gimmick that's needed to retell his classic story.

Those who prefer Sandler's brand of humor will not be disappointed with Click, though his casting in the lead role is questionable. Do we really believe that a man's man like Sandler has no clue which remote controls what? It's doubtful, but it doesn't matter anyway. Click's ultra-thin story affords Sandler ample opportunity to recycle much of the same antics we've seen in prior projects. Though Walken's character is merely a retread of Christopher Lloyd's crack scientist in Back to the Future, he infuses all of the energy into this lethargic film. The remaining cast, including Henry Winkler and Julie Kavner as Michael's parents, is completely wasted. Actually, you can say that they're literally clicked over.

Baywatch: Executive Edition.