Click (2006)

The schlub in this case is Michael Newman (Adam Sandler), and we're supposed to accept that he's single-minded enough to think he can someday earn a partnership at his architectural firm with a taskmaster as arrogant as Mr. Ammer (David Hasselhoff). We're also expected to believe that he would neglect his family life with a devoted wife as gorgeous as Kate Beckinsale, er, Donna, and two sweetly tempered children who want nothing more than quality time with Daddy.

Christopher Walken, as a mad scientist, has an interesting remote control for Adam Sandler

Clichés and contrivances aside, Click has a terrific gimmick going for it that works to serve the formula. Frustrated from time wasted fumbling with his household's growing collection of remote controls, Michael goes shopping late at night for a universal remote. He ends up at Bed Bath and Beyond, the first store that's open, and quickly discovers what that third "B" is all about. In the back room, he meets an eccentric scientist named Morty (Christopher Walken), who presents Michael with the mother of all remotes sure to "rock your world."

Turns out the gadget not only operates the TV, but Michael's entire life as well. Imagine being able to take control of everything in the palm of your hand! Mute those pesky annoyances that keep you from getting work done. Fast-forward through the menial chores that keep you from relaxing. Pause time itself to gather your thoughts, skipping back to the past to recall important information. Move ahead in your life instantly to get over a nasty cold or upcoming worry.

Michael Newman (Sandler) has a device that is literally life-changing

Quite the handy invention, but you'd be right in thinking that it sounds too good to be true. At first, everything seems to fall into place for Michael, professionally and personally. But like Tivo, the remote learns his "viewing habits" and begins to automatically skip past moments that he's previously avoided. Like some episode out of The Twilight Zone, Michael suddenly finds himself missing out on not just the frustrations of life, but also its greatest pleasures.

As simplistic as the concept sounds, Click is really an excellent parable at heart. You can't simply fast forward through life's rough spots, because they're intertwined with the simple joys. If you simply waved a magic wand (or prayed to God) to erase the tough times, would life really be the same? Would you really be the same?

Execution is critical to a comedy like this, so it's good that director Frank Coraci is responsible for two of Sandler's more charming and successful films, The Wedding Singer and The Waterboy, both similar in tone to this. And if Click seems a tad reminiscent of 2003's Bruce Almighty with Jim Carrey, it's because Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe wrote both. The film also bears strong resemblance to the classics It's a Wonderful Life and Back to the Future, using altered realities to help the central characters gain a better appreciation for how blessed they really are.

Click also shows a lot of imagination with the remote control's features, going far beyond fast-forward, pause, and rewind. There's a "menu" button with lots of other options that I dare not reveal here, as they involve some of the movie's funniest bits. Suffice to say, the film reflects the times by humorously applying the digital age of entertainment to everyday life.

Kate Beckinsale plays the wife, Tatum McCann and Joseph Castanon the kids

The inventiveness is complimented by a great cast, though Sandler largely sticks to his usual schtick and Beckinsale is a pretty face in a role any capable actress could have handled. Still, Henry Winkler (Happy Days) and Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge on The Simpsons) are inspired choices as Sandler's parents, and together they all provide some genuinely moving and heart-wrenching scenes as Michael comes to realize how he's wasted his life by shutting out his loved ones. But it's Walken who again steals the show with another delightfully quirky performance. His first pronunciation of "REmote control" is priceless, and you never quite know what to make of him as the story goes along, which is probably intentional.

However, Click's problem is that it wants to have it both ways—with weepy moralizing and the vulgar comedy that's typical of a Sandler flick. Midway through, the movie becomes increasingly less funny as Michael gets older, and that's precisely the point, but audiences looking for consistent laughs may be disappointed. Imagine watching a Sandler comedy while keeping a Lifetime melodrama in your TV's picture-in-picture, then swapping them after an hour.

Dad finds a way to spend more 'quality time' with his children

There are many who would appreciate Click for its message, sweetness, and occasional cleverness, only to be offended by the scatological humor. We're not talking R-rated stuff, but at least half of the laughs come from gags involving flatulence, cleavage, sex, and too-tight Speedos (more of Sean Astin than I needed to see, thank you very much). The family dog is shown repeatedly trying to "mate" a giant stuffed toy, as if there could be nothing possibly funnier … until we see two dogs putting moves on the toy at the same time.

A few crude gags might be warranted because of the setup, but too often the film aims too low. An extended flatulence gag as payback to the boss goes way too far and reveals what the filmmakers will resort to when hard pressed to come up with humor that lives up to inspired bits about life controlled by DVD menus and Tivo remotes.

Click has its heart in the right place but its head in the toilet, and thus works against itself despite some great moments. When it releases to video, I suspect those who are interested in the movie's more wholesome moments will also grab their remotes and click right past the bad parts.