Rights holder / Distributor: Netflix
The repetition (The Do-Over) is a 2016 American action comedy film directed by Stephen Brill from a screenplay by Kevin Barnett and Chris Pappas. It was released in the United States on May 27, 2016.
Charlie McMillan leads a completely predictable life - a job as a bank manager, a marriage without much intimacy and the feeling that the years just fly by. At a 25th anniversary reunion, he unexpectedly meets his old friend Max, who is the exact opposite of him - impulsive, self-confident and ready to take risks. Max offers an unusual solution to their problems: the two of them should fake their own deaths and start over with new identities. The plan seems like an opportunity for a second chance, until the two realize that the people whose identities they have taken over have been involved in much more serious trouble.
Stephen Brill arranges the story around the typical Adam Sandler productions combination of crude humor, ridiculous situations, and action. The Do-Over However, it has an interesting starting point – two men who are given the opportunity to erase their old lives, only to discover that the new one may turn out to be even more dangerous. After the initial comedic opening, the plot gradually turns into a story of deception, persecution and pharmaceutical conspiracy. The problem is that the film constantly jumps between different types of humor and action and does not always manage to find the right balance. Critical reception is also quite lukewarm – Rotten Tomatoes reports only 9% positive reviews from critics.
Adam Sandler returns to his well-known comedic persona as Max, while David Spade plays the more reserved Charlie, which creates a natural contrast between the two. Paula Patton is Heather, the woman Charlie becomes close to after the change in his life, and Catherine Hahn gets a chance to use her signature comedic talent as Becca. Nick Swordson, Matt Walsh, Sean Astin, Luis Guzman, Catherine Bell and Michael Chiklis complement the cast with a series of eccentric characters. The relationship between Sandler and Netflix is also curious – The Do-Over is the second film of the four productions agreed upon between the actor and the streaming platform, after The Ridiculous 6 since 2015.
The best moments of The Do-Over come from the interaction between Sandler and Spade and the absurd consequences of their decision to start their lives over. The film does not aim for complex comedy, but relies on quick jokes, physical humor, and situations that gradually become more ridiculous. For viewers who enjoy Sandler's specific style, this is a fairly typical title from this period, although it does not reach the level of his best comedies. Among second-chance films The Do-Over uses the familiar idea in the more boisterous and obscene manner typical of Happy Madison productions, and remains mostly light, one-off entertainment.
