Waterboy

A lot of people are shocked at how dumb, unbelievable, and campy this movie is. Obviously they've lived in a cave and never seen an Adam Sandler movie before.

You don't watch Adam Sandler for a cerebral workout. You'll never see him starring opposite Anthony Hopkins or Merryl Streep. Okay, I realize his IS cast opposite Oscar-Winner Kathy Bates, but don't confuse me with details. This movie is just a bunch of jokes wrapped around a weak plot.

Still, the jokes are really funny. I don't usually laugh out loud at the movies, but I guffawed at many parts of this movie. If nothing else, it stimulates the Three Stooges area of the frontal lobe of your brain.

On the down side, Rob Schneider must be a good friend, because his role was obviously a last-minute toss in. Schneider is not funny in this movie and his "lines" are by far the campiest element of this movie.

Still, it was amazing how the crowd with which I saw it reacted to the football scenes in the movie. I looked around and everyone was anxious or cheering like they're best friend was playing in the Super Bowl. Also, this is the hardest I've seen an audience laugh since "There's Something About Mary".

In short, if you can accept the fact that the plot is completely unbelievable and just watch it for laughs, you will enjoy this movie. If you're looking for Oscar-winning drama, go elsewhere.

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

It's Adam Sandler. Are we expecting a smart comedy, along the lines of Woody Allen and Albert Brooks? Of course not. But like all his comedies, it works. Some of the jokes are truly lame (not in a funny way), but most of them worked. Sandler helped pen the script, so naturally the humor is cheap and juvenile. But everyone, young and old, has a kid or teenager inside of them that is dying to break out. That explains the success of "There's Something About Mary." I'm sure a movie with such widespread success didn't reach only a young audience. When an old man dressed like Colonel Sanders gets hit in the head by a paperweight, call me immature, but I'm going to laugh out loud! Sandler does a great job at awakening the kid in all of us. It's truly evident that the kid in him is fully awakened.

Honestly, I still prefer Sandler's "Billy Madison" (I will always love that movie!) and "Happy Gilmore," but this is a good one too. I never thought Fairuza Balk was hot, before checking out this film. Anyone who has seen "The Craft" knows damn well she looked horrible! And for good reason--she was playing a witch! Here, she looks hot, and walks around in a lot of skimpy outfits--MMMM! No matter how many times I watch this film, I can't help but crack up at Blake Clark as Farmer Fran. God, what an underrated talent! His main gag is you can't understand what the hell he's saying. Sure, it doesn't sound like much on paper--shows how the timing and execution of a joke can really work wonders. He also made a short appearance in "Joe Dirt," so look for him in that one as well. There are a good deal of notable gags: the Roy Orbison tattoo, Rob Schneider's "You can do it!" character, etc. I can't say this is a subtle comedy that you'll want to check out over and over again to search for jokes you may have missed. To tell the truth, I think the film gets more lame in further viewings. Which is why it's good to watch it once or twice. Don't wear it out, because this kind of comedy can wear out easily--like those supermarket brand AA batteries.

"The Waterboy" is funny, mindless entertainment. I recommend watching it--just read a book afterwards...LOL. Critics have criticized Sandler for lowering viewers' comic standards. Sure, his gags may not be as intelligently crafted as those of the late Marx Brothers or Buster Keaton, but he knows how to make people laugh and I'm not going to fry him for that. Some don't find him funny--and if you don't, I understand. But I'm not going to view Sandler as comedy's Hitler. Believe me, I've seen much worse.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

I really liked the Waterboy. It was crude, raw, and utterly funny. Adam Sandler gives his funniest yet since his 1995 cult hit Billy Madison. In this feel good movie, Sandler plays a dumb waterboy who gets on a football team and becomes a damn good tackler. Everything in this film is funny, from beginning to end. Henry Winkler has his best in years as a down on his luck coach and Kathy Bates is Dead Pan funny as mama. Great all around. A+

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