Jack and Jill (2011)

Movie Info

If there is a Hell, this kid might be in it…

Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler) has a problem:  his twin sister Jill (Adam Sandler).  When Jill inserts herself in Jack’s life during a visit, Jack finds his life turned upside down.  Now, Jack’s having problems with his wife Erin (Katie Holmes) and Jill is starting to get on his nerves.  When Al Pacino won’t leave Jack alone in his attempts to hook-up with Jill, Jack realizes he can use Jill to his advantage to land Pacino for an important account…if Jill doesn’t ruin it all.

Directed by Dennis Dugan, Jack and Jill was an Adam Sandler family comedy released in 2011.  The movie was met with horrible reviews and ranked number one on many critics “Worst of 2011” lists.  It was the first movie nominated for every category of Razzie awards winning Worst Actor (Sandler), Worst Actress (Sandler), Worst Supporting Actor (Al Pacino), Worst Supporting Actress (David Spade), Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple (Adam Sandler with Al Pacino, Katie Holmes, or Adam Sandler), Worst Ensemble, and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel (considered a Glen or Glenda rip-off…a stretch) with nominators for Worst Supporting Actor (Nick Swardson) and Worst Supporting Actress (Katie Holmes).

So Al…seriously…you’re going to do this movie?

Jack and Jill is one of those abysmal movies that doesn’t even sound good on paper.  Twin movies are bad, adult twin movies are worse, and Adam Sandler playing the role of both twins is horrible.  Jack and Jill does pay off in its awfulness.

The plot is ridiculous, and despite a relatively short hour and a half-runtime, the movie drags.  It just doesn’t feel like it goes anywhere with technology that barely surpasses Parent Trap-esque side-by-side shooting (and some really horrible blue-screen shooting at a Lakers game).  Jill drives Jack crazy…we get it.  We got it in the first few minutes of the film.

Dunkachino!

The worst part of Adam Sandler is when he does that squeaky voice he often mixes into his comedy…now imagine it for a whole movie as Jill’s voice is like chalk on a blackboard.  There isn’t enough “good” to Jill to make you feel bad for her when Jack is mean to her.  I wish you had some more moments with Jill as a good person to justify the ending.

I will say that I kind of liked the Al Pacino stuff in the movie.  He pokes fun at the “actor” idea (which is good since his performance is pretty poor).  He adds a bit of levity to a movie that is pretty awful.

Jack and Jill is a bad movie.  I don’t know that kids would like it (it is rated PG), but adults should run away far from it.  The movie is a laugh-less comedy that isn’t even so-bad-it-is-good.   I hope by the failure of Jack and Jill that zany movies about twins and guys in drag will die…of course in the world of unoriginal Hollywood, that won’t happen.

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