That isn’t necessarily contrary to the aims of “Jack and Jill,’’ a gleefully stupid movie much more in line with Sandler’s earlier comedies than his later, more adventurous movies.
It’s directed by Sandler’s longtime filmmaking partner Dennis Dugan, who directed one of those early Sandler movies (“Happy Gilmore’’) as well as more recent failures such as last year’s “Grown Ups’’ and the much more interesting and funny “You Don’t Mess With the Zohan.’’
In “Jack and Jill,’’ Sandler plays Jack Sadelstein, a TV commercial producer, married to Erin (Katie Holmes) with two children (Rohan Chand, Elodie Tougne). Thanksgiving brings an unwelcome visit from his twin sister Jill (Sandler).
Sandler plays Jill as he might have for a “Saturday Night Live’’ sketch, and Jill is less a real character than a walking punch line. She has a thick Bronx accent, a masculine physique and is completely out of touch. Sandler plays her more like an older Jewish mother than a 43-year-old.
Jack is aggressively mean to his sister, whose visit, much to his chagrin, keeps being extended. Jill proves useful, though, because she’s surprisingly fetching to a handful of men, most notably Al Pacino. That’s convenient for Jack, whose trying to get Pacino to act in a Dunkin’ Donuts ad.
Pacino, who plays himself in a surprisingly large part, is, one fears, going the Robert De Niro route here, using his esteemed reputation to parody himself. With ga-ga eyes, he chases relentlessly after Jill, who is largely unimpressed.
It must be said: Pacino is good in the film and gets most of the laughs. His total commitment to character applies even in a movie such as this, where he’s lovesick for a Sandler in drag. Comedy has always been part of Pacino’s range. Still, when Pacino finally cuts the hip-hop-style commercial and afterward tells Jack, “Burn this,’’ I’m inclined to agree.
