Click

Click is a big budget romantic comedy that plays up the romance way more than the comedy and has more success from its special FX than its jokes. Basically it’s a 21st Century retelling of A Christmas Carol, replacing the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future with a universal remote control passed down from Christopher Walken’s outstanding Angel of Death, Morty. Oh, and it doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. Still, it is a moral tale that cautions against choosing work over family and life. As the remote fast forwards and rewinds through time, workaholic architect Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) experiences his life with the help of some fantastic special effects, which are not only the highlight of the movie but are also an important part of the bonus features, proving how important they are to the success this film attained. It’s too bad these FX outshine the stellar cast, which includes, along with Sandler and Walken, major appearances from Kate Beckinsale, Sean Astin, Henry Winkler, David Hasselhoff and Rob Schneider. Frankly, it’s a major waste of talent with a lot of boring moments. The inside jokes make for the best moments, i.e., the conflict between Newman and his obnoxious neighbours, the O’Doyles, who first appeared in Sandler’s Billy Madison. Sadly, Rob Schneider, in a nearly unrecognisable role, finds his running gag of "you can do it” relegated to the deleted scenes. It’s probably not a stretch to say there are more comic moments in the commentary with Sandler, director Frank Coraci (who had better success with Sandler on The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy), executive producer Tim Herilhy and writer Steve Koren than in the whole movie. Guaranteed, you will have ample opportunity to put your own remote control to good use. (Sony)