Blended 2014

Kyle Smith, New York Post: If "Funny People" is any indication, Sandler hates himself, and in "Blended" he invites us to join him. Read more

Andrew Barker, Variety: "Blended" suffers from a fundamental lack of trust in its audience, following every unexpectedly smart exchange with a numbskull pratfall or one-liner, and every instance of genuine sincerity with an avalanche of schmaltz. Read more

Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, AV Club: Tame by Sandler's current standards, the movie feels like a throwback; it brings to mind the blandly crappy movies Sandler made 10 years ago, rather than the brazenly crappy movies he makes today. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Trust in the audience is not a hallmark of the filmmakers. If it were, then maybe they could allow at least one semiserious scene to play out without beating us over the head with a trademark silly Sandler gag. Read more

Tom Russo, Boston Globe: The sunnier that Barrymore gets in her scenes with Sandler, the more the iffy elements and leaden bits seem to just melt away. Blend in more of that spirit, and their latest pairing might rate better. Read more

Drew Hunt, Chicago Reader: [A] bawdy, ugly farce. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star in Blended, their third pairing, and, while the chemistry may be good, the movie isn't. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: The laughs are sporadic and the supposedly tender moments are as heartwarming as a Hot Pocket. Read more

Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter: The action is by turns insistently sunny and mawkish. Read more

Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: A fun, often funny, largely enjoyable romp. The trick: Manage your expectations. Read more

Amy Nicholson, L.A. Weekly: In the world of this sitcom love story, men are from Mars and women should be from a defiled menstrual tent far enough away that Adam Sandler won't have to hear them talk about tampons. Read more

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: Blended isn't Sandler's funniest movie or his best, but it is a big step up from the dregs he's been churning out. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: The familiar Sandler-Barrymore chemistry lends a bit of sparkle to this otherwise predictable family rom-com. Read more

Richard Brody, New Yorker: The romance is sweet and even effervescent, the comedy is homespun and sentimental, but it's packaged with such a repellent batch of stereotypes and prejudices that it's unpalatable even to contemplate. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: I think I smiled, twice. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: If you've ever been inside a multiplex before, you can guess what happens during their vacation. Sure, it would be nice if the filmmakers gave us a few surprises before the happy ending. What's worse, though, is how low their comic bar is set. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: Most of "Blended" has the look and pacing of a three-camera sitcom filmed by a bunch of eighth graders and conceived by their less bright classmates. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: Comedians often draw on childhood influences, and Adam Sandler and his team do it in the worst possible way in Blended.. [which] is like a Bizarro version of The Brady Bunch. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: Blended throws a lot of things on the screen, but in the end, it has to confront its awkward and artificial "romance." And that's just ugly. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: What's missing from Blended? Two key ingredients: it doesn't touch the heart and it doesn't tickle the funny bone (at least not often enough). Read more

Christy Lemire, RogerEbert.com: A decent movie might actually be buried here somewhere deep, deep down. The world will never know. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: A rehash of Adam Sandler's 2011 comedy "Just Go With It," only without Jennifer Aniston and without laughs. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Will Adam Sandler ever grow up? Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Like something coughed up by a baby, "Blended" is tasteless mush. Read more

Phil Brown, Globe and Mail: Another year has passed, and so, as with the cold inevitability of death, another Adam Sandler movie is upon us. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Blended is a rather sloppily-made effort, with stock shots of lions and giraffes randomly dropped in. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: The pair have obvious chemistry. That doesn't mitigate the stupidity and predictability of the plot, but at least it's not painful to sit through. Read more

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press: There's a fairly decent movie trying to breathe here, underneath the infantile humor. Maybe one day, Sandler will liberate that movie. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Sandler would piss out of the screen if he thought he could get a laugh. This is not his worst film, but it's his most offensive. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Each sweet moment is inevitably punctuated by some in-your-face joke that's at least as stupid as the preceding moments were heartfelt. Read more