The gang is back together in "Grown Ups 2". Photo by Tracy Bennett.
Even though the name of the film is Grown Ups 2, you can’t expect too much maturity from a film starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade. And with a supporting cast that includes Nick Swardson, Maya Rudolph, Jon Lovitz, Cheri Oteri, Tim Meadows, Shaquille O’Neal, WWE Hall of Famer “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Salma Hayek’s cleavage, any grown-up expectations should be flushed down the same toilet as the ball-breaking potty humor that dominates almost every frame of this buddy comedy.
Childhood friends Lenny (Sandler), Eric (James), Kurt (Rock) and Higgy (Spade) are each dealing with their own minor conflicts as their kids deal with bullies, puberty and other adolescent problems on the last day of school. And that’s pretty much the gist of the plot, which is all you really need when you have an ensemble cast steeped in ridiculously comedic talent. Swardson as a drug-addled school bus driver who constantly bears the brunt of the films physical comedy? Maria Bello as the open-minded wife who indulges her husband Eric with a cheerleader car wash, only to have the male squad (led by Andy Samberg) get seductively sudsy instead of the buxom females? Austin as Lenny’s high school bully who still intimidates him as an adult? Oh, hell yeah!
Shaquille O'Neal and Peter Dante play a pair of comical cops in "Grown Ups 2". Photo by Tracy Bennett.
Oh, and then there’s the local fraternity led by Twilight‘s Taylor Lautner that challenges the dads to something that involves unnecessary backflips and elaborate handshakes. Plus, Higgy finds out he has a psychopathic illegitimate son (Alexander Ludwig), Shaq basically plays a balding version of Police Academy‘s Hightower and the CGI is way better than White House Down. Higgy’s love interest is a bodybuilding chick named Kitty (Kris Murrell), and she makes an impeccable Hulk Hogan at the ’80s party that serves as the movie’s climax. If it sounds like I’m just rambling off random tidbits of hilarity that’s because that’s basically what this movie amounts to. And that’s exactly what makes Grown Ups 2 the type of idiotic comedy that you’re likely to be quoting for months, as long as you don’t feel too guilty admitting you enjoyed it.