From Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Adam Sandler is one of Hollywood’s greatest paradoxes… he’s best known as a comedic goofball in films like Billy Madison And Happy Gilmorebut then he turns around and kills it in a dead serious movie like Unpolished gemstones. Considering it was followed by the barely watchable comedy Hubie HalloweenIt’s official: we never know what we’re going to get from this great actor hidden in the clown’s body. Because of this uncertainty, I was pleasantly surprised that Sandler was seriously committed to it Spacemana whimsical sci-fi space adventure available to stream on Netflix now.
Adam Sandler in space
Spaceman (based on the novel by Jaroslav Kalfař Astronauts from Bohemia) is about a cosmonaut who sets off on a long-term space mission with a lot of luggage. He has been arguing with his wife, who is understandably upset that he abandoned her and their unborn daughter to fly to the stars. In the midst of this ironically down-to-earth drama, there is a new development: the cosmonaut finds a species of spider Foreigner with telepathic abilities who wants to learn more about humanity. Their interactions help both of them learn a little more about themselves and the universe, but neither is fully prepared for where this journey (both literal and metaphorical) will take them.
Adam Sandler Headlines Spaceman As a cosmonaut in question, he amazingly manages to channel the complex emotions of a man constantly pushed forward despite being constantly haunted by what he left behind. Co-stars include Carey Mulligan (who absolutely killed it). A promising young woman And maestro) as the cosmonaut’s wife. Meanwhile, the alien stowaway who telepathically connects with our main character is voiced by him Paul Danowho genre fans rightly love for his performance as the Riddler The Batman.
The audience reacts to Spaceman
Originally, Spaceman was supposed to premiere in 2023, but the SAG-AFTRA strike delayed its release to 2024. After the premiere, almost no one really knew what to think of it: on Rotten tomatoesThe film has a critical score of 50 percent, with critics overwhelmingly complaining that the film introduces a number of interesting ideas without fully committing to them. It now has a Popcorn Meter rating of 66 percent, with viewers largely agreeing that the film does a surprisingly good job of adapting a crisp and complex novel for the screen.
Like the cosmonaut in the center SpacemanYou’re probably wrestling with some uncomfortable questions right now, starting with why I’m recommending you watch a movie that few people have seen and that critics were unimpressed with. The first reason is Adam Sandler’s performance: although this move is nowhere near as good as Unpolished gemstonesit’s another strong example (a bit like Punch Drunk Love before) how good this joker can be when he decides to become a serious actor. Additionally, his extensive experience in both comedic and dramatic roles helps him sell a sad and serious film in which his lead actor is a talking spider alien.
Apart from the great achievements, Spaceman is also worth watching for its (ironically) very profound themes. Franchises like Star Trek have conditioned us to idolize those who want to leave Earth and explore the stars, but the adventures of Captain Kirk and Captain Picard barely address how all the star trekking is affecting their family members back home. Sandler’s character is very compelling as someone who shares this common dream of space exploration but has to deal with how achieving that dream has affected the one he loves most.
Ultimately, Spaceman is one of the more intellectual films, but it’s definitely worth taking this strange journey through the cosmos. Will you love the film as much as I do, or will you throw Sandler’s extraordinary film into the sun? You won’t know until you watch, and with any luck your opinion won’t be influenced by the telepathic spider aliens you’ve hidden under the couch.
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