Waterboy

The Waterboy is an absolute classic that delivers on all fronts, blending Adam Sandler's signature goofy humor with a surprisingly heartwarming underdog story. Sandler's portrayal of Bobby Boucher, a shy and socially awkward waterboy turned unstoppable football force, is both hilarious and endearing. His quirky mannerisms and unique voice make Bobby one of Sandler's most memorable and beloved characters.

The film shines in its absurdity, embracing over-the-top humor with exaggerated characters like Kathy Bates' overprotective mom and Henry Winkler's anxiety-ridden coach. The sports comedy element, mixed with outrageous physical comedy, keeps the laughs coming throughout, while Bobby's journey from underdog to hero adds a layer of charm that elevates the movie beyond its silliness.

While The Waterboy doesn't take itself too seriously, it's a feel-good story at its core, and its quotable lines and outlandish moments have cemented its place as a cult favorite. From the ridiculous football plays to Bobby's hilarious "tackling fuel" speeches, the movie delivers classic scenes that remain funny and iconic decades later.

For fans of Sandler and those who enjoy lighthearted, slapstick comedy, The Waterboy is a timeless gem. An easy 8 out of 10 for its hilarious, feel-good energy and status as a comedy classic.

I have to admit: this Adam Sandler no-brainer is hilarious, just had me laughing right from the start. I'd rank it in my top ten funny movies of my collection and it features one of my favorite characters in film: Bobby Boucher Jr., a heckuva lot nicer guy than Sandler's "Happy Gilmore."

"Bobby" is about as innocent and a gentle-natured a guy as you'll find this side of Forrest Gump. You can't help but root for him, and that's the idea. What the film basically involves is another "Revenge Of The Nerds" theme except it's "nerd "- singular - as the picked-on waterboy turning the tables on the football jocks. Interesting to once again see Jerry Reed, whom I haven't seen much of since his days in "Smokey And The Bandit." He has much fatter face but everything else looked the same. Then there is Henry Winkler, "The Fonz" who now is the opposite: a guy with a terrible inferiority complex. All the characters in here are wildly exaggerated.

This cartoon-like comedy may not be high-brow, but so what? It's not totally low- brow either, but I do wonder why modern filmmakers cannot seem to make a comedy without all the sex references and the profanity. Nonetheless, Sandler's Cajun accent, his strange-looking-but pretty girlfriend (Fairuza Balk) and crazy mother (Kathy Bates, in the funniest role she's ever played) are all great fun to watch.

It's silly, particularly the ridiculous climactic football game, but then this movie is hardly to be taken seriously. It's all absurd humor, and 90 minutes was just right amount of time for it.

Amusing but typical Adam Sandler vehicle about a water boy for a football team who has the amazing ability to get extremely mad and violent (picture Sandler as the Incredible Hulk). When a football coach (Henry Winkler, a.k.a. The Fonz) sees Sandler's amazing talent, he gets him on his football team...much to the dissaproval of his overcontrolling mother (Kathy Bates).

A lightweight comedy handled with playfulness. "The Waterboy" scores big points for laughs. If you want an hour and a half of fun, see this movie!

3.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer

Now I am a huge fan of Adam Sandlers dumb-ass films but I think that is why people have let him a have a career so long. They just love his dumb-ass movies. The movie centres around the local water boy who when the coach of the football team notices he can tackle hard when mad he puts him as the new quarterback of tackeler guy sorry I am Australian. The movie is good on many pointers as it shows that Adam Sandler can play 2 different types of dumb guys, nice dumb and guys and mean dumb guys. If you have not already seen this you should take some time to seat down and enjoy the movie. Overall this movie is a fun excuse to seat down and dumb out but I can see why people would not like this film. I rate this film 83%.

I do agree the story takes a long time to develop, the script at times is not great(too many dumb moments) and the pacing is uneven, but The Waterboy is actually somewhat endearing. And it has Adam Sandler in it, an actor I don't care for, but he was surprisingly amusing here. I do think though that Kathy Bates(ever the pro)as the Cajun mum and Henry Winkler as the bewildered coach gave much better performances. The film does look striking, with nice cinematography and scenery, and the soundtrack is nice. The sports sequences are lovingly done, and the direction is efficient enough. Overall, it isn't groundbreaking, but it is an endearing and amusing film. 7/10 Bethany Cox