ENTERTAINMENT

Screen: Time for Sandler to get off the stage

Todd Hill

Have we learned nothing from Jerry Lewis?

The comedic film star, one of the biggest stars in the showbiz firmament during the middle decades of the 20th century, watched his juvenile slapstick routine come to a crashing halt when he hit 40 years old in 1966. Paramount Pictures opted to not renew its contract with him, and he was for all intents and purposes done.

Lewis made a few more slapsticky comedies for a few more years, most of which he had to also direct himself, but they failed. He mostly tried his hand at variety shows for the remainder of the decade, followed by an occasional film role of note that had little to do with his earlier persona (he played it straight to great effect in Martin Scorsese’s 1983 picture “The King of Comedy”).

Since then, Jerry Lewis, 89, has been famous for being famous. Why can’t we relegate Adam Sandler to the same showbiz ghetto? Lewis, a comedic legend, doesn’t really deserve to be there. Sandler absolutely does.

Yes, Adam Sandler’s latest movie — “Pixels,” now in theaters — has tanked, just like the dozen or so Sandler flicks before it. And like all those others, this latest one is not just bad, but alarmingly so, even offensively so.

Michelle Monaghan Adam Sandler and Kevin James attend the world premiere of “Pixels” on July 18 in New York.

Every era has had its A-list stars who continued to work in high-profile projects for years and years despite having no discernible talent, but Sandler has set the unofficial record for sheer tonnage of unwatchable garbage.

Despite losing tens of millions of dollars of the studios’ money (Sony’s, primarily) over the years, Sandler’s projects continue to get green-lit while scores of talented filmmakers struggle to get their careers off the ground. If I knew why, this would be an easier column to write.

It’s certainly no mystery, however, how Sandler descended to this nadir of creativity.

While Sandler’s onetime fan base has largely deserted him of late, as reflected in his box-office numbers, there are plenty of folks who enjoyed his brand of comedy back in his “Billy Madison,” “Happy Gilmore” days.

Full disclosure — I’m not one of them. I found Sandler’s “Saturday Night Live” schtick tiresome way back in 1991, and literally the only movie of his I’ve actually enjoyed is 2004’s “Spanglish,” which isn’t a traditional Sandler project. It’s a dramedy about a Mexican maid, and a signature effort by writer/director James L. Brooks.

Adam Sandler exits the track after telling drivers to start their engines for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last month.

I’ve written many a column trashing Adam Sandler over the years, and I was often snarky in the attempt, or tried to be. The Internet is loaded with several more such attempts now, post-“Pixels.” So let’s play it straight.

In the acting game, career longevity is typically maintained by going in a different direction from time to time, except when it isn’t. Tom Cruise appears to have a hit right now with his fifth “Mission: Impossible” film, even though it’s more of the same for him.

But that’s also a good movie, in contrast to “Pixels,” and Cruise works his posterior off promoting his titles when Sandler won’t even talk to the press. Sandler’s gone in a different direction about as often.

Michelle Monaghan as Violet Adam Sandler as Brenner, Josh Gad as Ludlow and Peter Dinklage as Eddie in “Pixels.”

The actor is about to release a slew of new titles on Netflix, but don’t get your hopes up. If the bad publicity around his upcoming “Ridiculous Six” is any indication (several Native Americans walked off the set), Sandler is showing no interest in raising the bar. “Pixels,” in its treatment of women, is unbelievably sexist. Who laughs at this stuff?

Also appearing in Sandler’s Netflix efforts are some of the same people he’s worked with for years. Well, David Spade, Norm MacDonald and Rob Schneider are three reasons not to see a movie, in my book.

Jerry Lewis discovered that juvenilia no longer worked once he hit 40. Sandler is 48, and still more juvenile than Lewis ever was. And still, he shows no signs of getting a clue. Maybe that’s a point of pride. It’s also the hallmark of the laziest man in Hollywood.

thill3@nncogannett.com

419-563-9225

Twitter: @ToddHillMNJ