Adam Sandler’s Guilty Pleasure Comedy Conquers HBO Chart Despite 22% Tomatometer

Adam Sandler- starring comedies are seemingly not critics’ favorites, as they often fell victim to their strict judgment. All of us can recall such hilarious genre’s staples as Big Daddy (1999), Click (2006) and Grown Ups (2010), but it may come as a surprise that their critical score is less than 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie that is now holding the fifth place in HBO’s global top is no exception, as it was panned by critics, but liked by the actor’s fans, just like the mentioned titles.

Its plot focuses on a pizzeria owner who lives his calm life in a small town. However, it’s about to change, as he is the only heir of his deceased uncle who leaves him a fortune of $40 billion. He embarks on a journey into the big city’s world of luxuries, large businesses and, moreover, tabloid reporters, who urge to know his success story.

This synopsis is reminiscent of the plot of Coming to America (1988), Eddie Murphy ’s iconic romcom about a prince in his search for a woman who will love him for who he is. Sandler’s character also realizes he is chased only for his money and new social status.

As for similarities to other Sandler-starring comedies, it stands out among them because here he portrays quite a likable man, not a man-child, as typical of his classic comedies, such as Big Daddy and The Longest Yard. The movie we’re talking about seems to go further the formula of those movies and presents a new type of protagonist.

Disappointingly, this 2002 film, titled Mr. Deeds after the main character, was severely panned by critics who claimed it offered a generic and poorly-written story, where Sandler’s comedy talent shined not so bright as it potentially could.

This criticism, however, didn’t interfere with the movie’s commercial success, as it grossed $171.3 million against a budget of $50 million, with the audience still recalling it.

“It's not a master-piece, but it's an extremely watchable movie with some solid jokes and Adam Sandler's character is actually pretty likable,” concludes Redditor @SpaceXtoTheMars about the movie.

Check out the current comedy chart climber, as Mr. Deeds is available on HBO Max .