Adam Sandler’s movies and the Super Troopers franchise have proved why some critics get them wrong and don’t understand comedy.
It’s a big week for long-running comedic franchises. First, Grown Ups 3 has officially entered production at Netflix. It’s the third film in the Grown Ups franchise behind 2010’s Grown Ups and 2013’s Grown Ups 2. Grown Ups 3 will reunite Sandler with his co-stars Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, and Rob Schneider.
Meanwhile, Super Troopers 3 is now in theaters nationwide. It’s the third movie in the Super Troopers franchise, which follows the adventures of Vermont State Police Troopers. The movie is written by and stars the members of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, which consists of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske. Chandrasekhar is also the director of Super Troopers 3.
The Grown Ups and Super Troopers franchises are certainly not going to win any critical awards. On Rotten Tomatoes, the two Grown Ups movies are both under 10%, while three Super Troopers movies are all below 37%. No one is calling for these silly films to win Oscars. However, there is a clear disconnect between critics and fans with these movies.
These comedy franchises were never made to impress critics
One of my problems with film criticism is the judging of movies from different genres on the same scale. Grown Ups and The Odyssey should not be viewed through the same critical lens, and rightfully so. These are distinct movies with separate motivations. It’s unfair to hold both to the same critical standards.
Sandler’s movies and Super Troopers don’t need my critical defense. They understand that their movies are made for fans. Winning awards is not a priority. These comedies set out to make people laugh, and they do.
And guess what? People keep showing up for these films. Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 each grossed over $245 million at the box office. Super Troopers was an independent movie made for less than $3 million, and it grossed $23.2 million. Super Troopers 2 originally crowdsourced its budget. After raising $4.7 million, the Super Troopers 2 final budget came in at around $13.5 million, and the film grossed $32 million. That’s a win by all measures.
To be fair, some of these kinds of comedies don’t work. Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6 is a terrible film. However, most of Sandler’s movies are entertaining and represent the perfect form of escapism. The same can be said for Super Troopers. Audiences want to laugh and feel good, a concept Sandler and Super Troopers continue to understand.
Originally written by Dan Girolamo at ComingSoon.
