Funny People...Better Than It Was Made Out to Be.

I rarely grant the illusive "5 Star Rating" on Netflix...and I watch an average of 4 movies per week. I see a LOT of 3's. I was apprehensive when I saw this movie was over 2 hours long. A 2 hr and 20 minute Sandler/Rogan movie? Oh MAN. BUT, this was one of those rarest of surprises...I LOVED it.

Sandler is a big time comedian bachelor who finds out he has a leukemia-like disease. In realizing he's going to die he also realizes he has absolutely nobody in his life who isn't paid help. He randomly runs across Rogan, who is a young struggling stand up comedian who works at a deli by day and does improv at night. Rogan ends up having to follow Sandler's charactor onstage and a relationship ensues.

I've ALWAYS like Sandler, ever since Opera Man and Cajun Man were sporatic charactors on SNL...I was watching live the first time he did Red Hooded Sweatshirt. LOL! Seth Rogan is "okay". I'm not really a dick and fart joke movie person anymore...I've watched most of his stuff and it's been "okay". I can see the appeal to Seth Rogan, however I wouldn't say I'm a fan. In this movie Sandler does something we've seen him do in the past in other poorly reviewed films, and we see Rogan do it for the first time: They ACT. They both play charactors in this movie with depth, emotions and you actually give a shit about them; both of them. It's a really good movie, and I was never bored for the entire 2 hours and 20 minutes...at all.

The thought that came to mind is that I feel for these poor comedians who make a career and are noticed by dick and fart jokes (see Kevin Smith for reference...probably one of the smartest film makers out there, but he's too recognized for chronic and low brow humor to ever be taken seriously...that's too bad). Then these guys evolve and grow up, but are unable to gain any respect because nobody can see past what they were to what they are. I repeat, that's too bad. Sandler has had moments of brilliance in Punch Drunk Love and Spanglish. I think this movie took that one step further because it was actually easy to be entertained by this movie than the afforementioned. Anyway, loved it and wanted to give credit where credit was due.