“Blended” rolls unapologetically off the Adam Sandler assembly line. It’s another farce high on silliness, sentiment, sex jokes, toilet jokes and a love for grossout gags that is too sincere to be faked. Say what you will about him, and to most people, Sandler is the Ed Wood of comedy. He’s a 48 year old man who won’t let the idiot boy die inside of him. Fair enough. Director Paul Thomas Anderson showed a completely different side of him in “Punch Drunk Love” and I liked that a lot. But Sandler quickly returned to formula territory in “Anger Management”, “Grown Ups”, “That’s My Boy”, “Chuck and Larry” and the God-awful “Jack and Jill”. He’s a bit more adventurous in “Blended”, as he reunites with Drew Barrymore and his “Wedding Singer” director Frank Coraci in a movie that couldn’t be more formulaic. But against all odds, the movie works at times. For that, credit the teamwork of the two stars who haven’t lost the loopy magic they displayed in “The Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates”. It’s a kick to see them work together again and they almost make “Blended” memorable enough. That’s because Barrymore brings out the tender side in Sandler. When he isn’t goofing around and making silly toilet jokes, Coraci concentrates on the chemistry between the two that gives the movie a tiny heartbeat. Each earns a star in my review. The movie would be literally nothing without them. Next up, Sandler will work with the gifted writer and director Jason Reitman on a movie called “Men, Women & Children”. I don’t know about you, but there’s still hope for the man.

Rating: 2/4