Click

Adam Sandler has hit his eighth straight No. 1 weekend opening in the US with Click. Sandler's formula is hard to fault - nice guy who's rough around the edges with gorgeous wife or girlfriend has an adventure and learns that family matters most. If we define this plotline as the 'Sandler genre', then Click is its ultimate form. The adventure is lots of fun, the family moments are heartwarming, funny and at times emotionally very touching (with Henry Winkler as his father, it's hard not to get teary - the Fonz got old), and gorgeous wife - Kate Beckinsale.

The plot: Adam Sandler plays Michael Newman, married to Donna (Beckinsale), with 2 children - Ben and Samantha. He's focused on advancing his career (to better provide for his family) and sees pretty much everything else as a distraction and wants a simple way to control his complex life.

In walks Morty (Christopher Walken), who Michael finds working away in the 'Beyond' section of a Bed, Bath & Beyond store (the only retailer he can find open when he badly needs a universal remote control). Morty gives Michael a universal remote control - one that he can use to control his life. Mute the dog, rewind so he can recall fun moments or what his wife was wearing during their first kiss, or even fast forward through the 'pre-sex' back rub his wife likes (except just like a normal remote, sometimes you can leave it on FF for a bit too long and skip a good bit).

However, it's when Michael starts skipping entire, uncomfortable periods in his life that he starts courting disaster. The remote, we learn, 'learns' your preferences and anticipates what you want. If you accidentally fast forwarded through the entire love-making session (even if you just meant to skip the foreplay) it thinks you always want to skip the whole thing - say goodbye to sex. When you start skipping the time until you get that promotion you were wanting, then say goodbye to months, even years.

Needless to say, most of what remains of Michael's life skips by rather quickly, with his body on autopilot while his consciousness leaps into it at regular intervals.

The ending is the usual nice one, and the lessons about the importance of family and just where work should sit in the scheme of things are well learned by Michael at the end.

In summary: It's sacarine stuff, but well made and full of lots of those usual, hilarious Sandler moments. Kate Beckinsale is stunning as his long-suffering, devoted, yet strong-minded wife. Adam Sandler, as in this film, does better opposite a strong female lead - certainly doing so with Drew Barymore in 50 First Dates. He hits the mark so well at the box office because his films are increasingly just the right mix of comedy, standard life lessons, and good ensembles. I'll also add a big 'thank you' for Sean Astin making an appearance (he was in 50 First Dates, and Elijah Wood's co-hobbit in the Lord of the Rings trilogy) rather than Rob Schneider (who is much harder to take).

The Casablanca comparison: Rick was certainly never reaching for the fast forward when he found Ilsa in his apartment above the cafe. Yet a life out of control was never much of a problem for him. His greatest challenge was forgetting that rainy day in Paris when Ilsa dumped him. Michael's greatest challenge was remembering 'their song' from the bar when they first kissed.

The rating: 7.5 out of 10. This was a film well worth seeing. A traditional story of the importance of family, reinforced by a good ensemble and coupled with the traditional Sandler humour.