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Anger Management Going into Anger Management, I had mixed emotions. On the one hand, I think Jack Nicholson might be the greatest actor ever (or at least in the top 5). On the other, Adam Sandler is a man with promise and potential, who usually settles for the cheap laugh and the big paycheck (except for Punch Drunk Love, which was an admirable choice). Would Nicholson raise Sandler to his level, or would Sandler drag Jack down to his? You'll see a little of both, but the end result is very entertaining Sandler stars as David - a milque toast, mild mannered man who lets everyone push him around. During a business trip, David ends up in a misunderstanding that leads to his arrest, even though he has done nothing wrong. However, the judge (Lynne Thigpen, who recently passed away) feels David has a problem controlling his rage, and sentences him to Anger Management classes led by Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson). If David can't complete the course, he's going to jail. Will the cure kill the patient? Anger Management is a traditional buddy picture that provides plenty of laughs for everyone. Sandler fans will see some recurring comedic devices - people with funny-in-a-non-hateful-way physical oddities, silly sometimes-ribald humor and physical comedy. Nicholson fans will delight in his devilish charm and the way he relishes playing a fun character. Together, the two make a good team. Sandler tempers his usual over-the-top style to deliver a character who only loses his cool when the script needs it. In many ways, he is the straight man to Nicholson. He gets to play a romantic lead, and knows when to get out of the way so his co-star can take over. Overall, Sandler knows he is not the star of the film, and you might sense a little relief on his part. Working with Nicholson allows Sandler to focus on the character instead of feeling the need to satisfy the usual Sandler-fans. It's a good choice one that shows that he has the ability to run with the big dogs and be one of the leading men in Hollywood. In many ways, Dr. Buddy is a character that could only be played by Nicholson. He's wild, crazy and, underneath it all, you kinda know he's brilliant. At every twist and turn, as things get wackier and wackier and these two men start to drive each other nuts, Nicholson always has that devilish smile that makes you like Dr. Buddy no matter what he has done. That's a tough thing to do when you're the bad guy. He never falters, even as the action gets more outrageous. Jack also handles the cruder humor better than a guy with three Oscars should. Anger Management has plenty of surprise cameos, lots of laughs and something for fans of each co-star. It gets a touch slow in the middle, but the jokes are spot on, even when they don't come at you in rapid-fire fashion. Writer David Dorfman and director Peter Segal know when to go for the joke, rather than cram in every little giggle. Instead of hoping that the audience will enjoy half of the jokes, they just put in the best ones. Anger Management is a mature Sandler film, and that's a good thing. Grade: A- Copyright 2003 - WaffleMovies.com
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