Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler’s appealing rapport fights appalling script in Blended

BLENDED: With the regular release of two-tonne turkeys Adam Sandler is clearly Not Really Trying. But no matter how bad, enough tickets will be sold to justify another one.

Adam Sandler in a scene from film Blended

IT was out front of 2009’s underrated Funny People that Adam Sandler last lived up to his star billing in a movie.

In the five wretched years since, the NRT factor has been cancelled out by the NRC effect.

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NRT? With the regular release of two-tonne turkeys like That’s My Boy and Jack & Jill, Adam Sandler is clearly Not Really Trying.

NRC? No matter how bad the Sandler movie, enough tickets will be sold to justify another one. His fanbase is clearly Not Really Caring.

Adam Sandler goes from a bad first date to a bad overseas holiday in <i>Blended</i>.

This dire deadlock continues with Blended, notable only for the fact it pairs Sandler for a third time with one of his finest past collaborators, Drew Barrymore.

They were a great coupling in The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, and for the most part, are bearable enough again here.

Sandler plays Jim, a widowed father of three grieving daughters whose idea of a great location for a blind date is a booth at Hooters.

The film sees Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler team up for the third time.

Which is where Jim takes Lauren (Barrymore) when fate first smooshes them together at the start of the movie.

Quite rightly, the newly divorced mother of two cantankerous sons never wants to see this guy again.

Quite predictably, there’s no chance of that happening. A few more fate-smooshes later, and the unhappy couple find themselves (and their respective offspring) trapped helplessly inside the same dream holiday in South Africa.

South Africa provides some shocks for the two families in<i> Blended</i>.

Sandler and Barrymore have such an appealing rapport that you can often overlook what an appalling script they’re stuck with here.

Take the scene where Barrymore busts Sandler buying feminine hygiene products for his eldest daughter in a late-night pharmacy.

There isn’t much funny about the situation at all. However, once the stars are done with that and return once more to their characters’ verbal war, some fair laughs are effortlessly scored.

The verbal sparring of Barrymore and Sandler as Lauren and Jim raises some laughs.

File under “what might have been” or “could have been worse.” Your choice.

Blended (PG)

Director: Frank Coraci (Click)

Starring: Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Terry Crews, Joel McHale

Verdict: Two stars. Sandler tells a Drew story for a third time

Originally published as Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler’s appealing rapport fights appalling script in Blended