Standing at an impressive 1 star on Netflix and an astounding 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, The Ridiculous Six is the first film in the group Adam Sandler has been contracted to make for Netflix. I’m not sure if this was a strategically placed release, because it was released on Netflix around the same time The Hateful 8 was released in the theaters. If your mind starts thinking conspiracies then just remember that Quentin Tarantino made an appearance as a blind priest in Little Nicky. Although I do suppose there will be those few people who don’t know any better and will think The Ridiculous Six is The Hateful 8, much like the picture of the boy getting Call of Duty 4 from his grandma and it being just a four pack of movies of the same name. Actually I’m pretty sure that those of who get the movies confused will be a lot more upset than that poor boy and his Call of Duty movies because this is not a good movie.
A star studded cast of Adam Sandlers friends gather around to create another movie that was filled with controversy way before it came out. Stories of extras walking off set were masked with explanations of it being for no racist reasons, but a walk off is a walk off. If you’re a paid extra and you walk off, then something happened. The story is a simple story of getting some money to save a father. What transpires from that story is a 2 hour movie that had me chuckle one time in the beginning, and it was an extra doing an impression. If you saw my face while watching the rest of the movie you would have thought I was watching a drama. After that one time chuckle, my mouth never cracked a smile the rest of the time. I could see where the jokes were and how someone could find this funny, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh and feel good about myself. It felt like I was watching Don’t Mess with the Zohan all over again. Adam Sandler’s portrayal of a half Caucasian half Native America is pitiful and all he does is try to act tough the whole movie. The slapstick isn’t the same comedy as I grew up expecting from Adam Sandler, it was blatant and at time choreographed so it wasn’t a surprise.
As I mentioned above, the cast is mostly all of Adam Sandlers regulars, but this shouldn’t be something they should be proud of. Taylor Lautner‘s portrayal as a simple minded man was annoying. Harvey Keitel, Nick Nolte, Blake Shelton, John Turturro and Steven Buscemi, who are all respected in their respective crafts, slum it and play parts that aren’t becoming of them. I don’t know if it was because of the payday they would have or if they owed favors, but they played parts that they should have played when they were first starting out in their career.
I remember when Adam Sandler made funny movies and even comedic albums. He would have my and my friends howling in the car as we listened to his sketches or quoting lines from his movies. I understand if he is trying to diversify his acting portfolio, but sometimes you have to give it up and accept that you’re good at one type of comedy. The last funny Adam Sandler movie I could remember was That’s My Boy and before that his company Happy Madison made the hilarious Grandma’s Boy. Those movies both worked because it was the comedy that worked for him and his company. Vulgar comedy without holding back is the only way Adam Sandler can get better ratings across Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes.