Looking for a way to make his life a little easier, workaholic architect Michael Newman, played by Adam Sandler, is given a remote which he can use to literally control his life.

With his new ability to pause the world around him and fast forward through unpleasant things in life like traffic, boring dinners with his parents and arguments with his wife, Michael hopes to live a little more relaxed life.

But things start to go wrong when the remote starts to fast forward on its own and Michael is shocked to see his family growing up and growing apart which each skip in time.

The movie had more of an adult and explicit humor that I liked because it fit well with the theme of a frustrated man trying to get a break in life, and cursing from little kids is always funny. Also, there were a good number of one-liners from Sandler and Christopher Walken, who plays Marty, the man who gives Sandler the remote.

With an exceptional comedic performance from Sandler as always, it’s his performance as the working family man that makes you sympathize with the character as a man who only wants to do what’s best for his family. A role that’s a perfect fit for Sandler, his performance was sentimental as well as funny and made the movie more than just a comedy.

It was amusing though that Kate Beckinsale, playing Sandler’s wife Donna Newman, looked amazing throughout the movie even when they wanted to make her look like she was in her 50’s. Her role, on the other hand, wasn’t so captivating; she gave a good performance for the character she played, but her role didn’t allow much in a Sandler-centered movie.

In the end, the movie gave a powerful message that life moves fast and it’s better to slow down and enjoy things while they last. It was entertaining as much as it was heart-warming. Not to mention an excellent supporting cast, which pleased me that the people acting around Sandler were just as important to the movie as Sandler himself.

Rating: Four out of four stars.

Matthew Beltran can be reached at [email protected]