Jack and Jill

Director:  Dennis Dugan
Cast: Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Johnny Depp and Al Pacino
Releasing in cinemas: 1  December 2011
Rated: PG

Another by-the-numbers comedy with as much sophistication as a boiled carrot, Jack and Jill scarcely harnesses the talents of notable actors Al Pacino and Johnny Depp. They must have owed Adam Sandler big time to appear in this mediocre affair. Even so, it will probably do well in the less judgmental young teenage market.

Jack Sadelstein (Adam Sandler), an L.A. advertising exec, has a generally happy life with his wife (Katie Holmes) and kids, but each year his appalling twin sister Jill (also Sandler with wig, dentures and melons) appears on the scene to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. This is not something to be joyous about, since she has a voice like a circular saw cutting through concrete, and gives everyone within sight a hard time.  Jill's  understandably single, so Jack tries to win her a date via the Internet, hoping to get the demanding twin off his back while he tries to line up an uncooperative Al Pacino for a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial.

While Jill's Internet dating doesn't work (of course), Pacino takes a fancy (heaven knows why) to the aggravating sister. This leads Pacino to chase after Jill in a wacky frenzy, including winching her off a luxury liner into his helicopter, and finally courting her as Don Quixote from Man of La Mancha. Guess what - Pacino sings 'The Impossible Dream'; and then comes his donut commercial which looks like something The Good Guys would cook up. Everyone lives happily ever after until the next Thanksgiving. A series of  interviews with real twins accompanies the end credits. At least director Dennis Dugan had the intelligence to keep the running time 89 minutes.

Adam Sandler (Zookeeper), while in frenetic drag offers the best comic moments, but he's far less amusing as the uptight brother. Some tricky technical stuff has the two Sandlers appear in the one frame. Al Pacino mercilessly sends himself up, taking a cue from his real coffee commercial. At least Pacino, while slumming, does it with zany gusto and certain grace of spirit. It also points up the fact he's not had such good roles lately - this the man who so impressed in Scarface and The Godfather.

Pacino mutters after seeing Jack's version of the Dunkin’ commercial “Just burn every copy”; advice he might well have applied to Jack and Jill.  A smidgen of pathos appears in a sequence where Jill, playing ball in the living room, busts Pacino’s Oscar statuette. She says “But I’m sure you have others”. Pacino answers philosophically, “You’d think that, but oddly enough I don’t.”

Katie Holmes (Don't Be Afraid of the Dark) doesn't contribute much and could have phoned in her part, just looking flabbergasted at Jill's unrestrained loud excursions into lunacy. Dialogue driven, most of the jokes are the quick fire stand-up variety with a tinge of political incorrectness to appease the adults who might venture to attend. Typical of the humour: “Skype sounds anti-Semitic to me”. Doses of slapstick are thrown into the mix, and it’s fair to say there’s a sprinkling of genuine laughs. Sandler has toned down his scatological impulses to one overlong fart routine.

The trailer for Jack and Jill showcases the funniest moments, yet most will expect more when they sit through the movie - and that's the let down. Dennis Dugan (Grown Ups) directs with uneven pacing. The Thanksgiving dinner scene - reminiscent of meal time in The Nutty Professor - takes forever on the screen and quickly runs out of puff . Faring only slightly better is a Mexican picnic party, featuring a knockabout gag involving an aged myopic grandma getting regularly belted in the head and revived with hot chili peppers.

The screenplay is the work of three writers; Sandler, Steve Koren and Ben Zook who dreamt up the story. Maybe that proves in this case too many scribes spoil the script. 

John Bale