Adam Sandler: Love You Review: Sandman Stays Silly And Musical With A Tinge Of Safdie Chaos

Back in 2018, comedian Adam Sandler made an impressive return to the comedy special scene with "100% Fresh," which fully delivered on what the title promised. Filmed at several different venues with varying crowd sizes, ranging from a more intimate Comic Strip stand-up club with dozens of fans to a massive theater with hundreds of people, the special featured Sandler doing bits of stand-up mixed with comedic songs about topics like Uber, heated toilet seats, and always remembering your phone, wallet, and keys when you're heading out somewhere. But Sandler also delivered some more nostalgic and lovely songs, such as "Bar Mitzvah Boy" and a heartfelt tribute to the late, great Chris Farley.

This year, the Sandman is back with "Adam Sandler: Love You," a brand new comedy special with all-new material and a surprising director behind the camera: Josh Safdie, one half of the Safdie brothers directing duo responsible for Sandler's intense, dramatic turn in "Uncut Gems." The singular Safdie sibling brings a much smaller helping of his signature suspenseful chaos to the proceedings, mostly in the special's opening before the actual show begins. But there are also some little tidbits of havoc manufactured by Safdie that were intended to catch both the audience and Adam Sandler himself off guard. As revealed to Vulture, though Sandler knew things would be intentionally amiss here and there, he was not aware what those events might be. However, one near-altercation early in the show between some feuding audience members is not one of those fake moments. 

Other than the touch of Safdie mayhem, "Adam Sandler: Love You" comes with all the silliness and sing-song fun you've come to love from Sandler. And even though there's no song honoring Chris Farley this time, Sandler still manages to deliver another heartfelt tune that pays tribute to so many of the comedians and works that have kept him (and millions) laughing whenever they need it the most. 

The opening of "Adam Sandler: Love You" is shot in the fashion of a cinematic documentary, watching the comedian as he arrives at this mysterious venue, which was actually the Nocturne Theatre in Glendale, California but made over to feel a little more sketchy. Sandler pulls up with the driver's side of the windshield totally smashed, a problem that was supposed to be fixed before needing the car, and it caused him to spill coffee his hoodie.

We watch as Sandler navigates a small horde of fans and autograph seekers, including a creepy old man played by Mitchell Wenig (from "Uncut Gems") who somehow has sneaky spy photos of Sandler at in his private home. Then, Sandler is bouncing all over backstage as various people vie for his attention, including one guy trying to get signatures for "Happy Gilmore" memorabilia going up for a charity auction and a sweet woman whose son was in an accident and would love Sandler to give him well-wishes via FaceTime. Plus, a bit of a curve ball is thrown at Sandler at the top of the show, when the trio of monitors above his head, which are meant to display visuals for various bits, have a technical difficulty that lasts for almost the duration of the show. 

It makes you wonder if this entire thing is meant to be some kind of staged production surrounding a typical Adam Sandler comedy special, and honestly, that's kinda how it plays out. Granted, the manufactured bits of turmoil are not consistent throughout the show, and they're not big or frequent enough to detract from Sandler doing what he does best. But it does lend a certain feeling of unpredictability to the proceedings, and it makes the entire production feel simultaneously more intimate and jury-rigged.

Digging into the meat of "Adam Sandler: Love You," if you enjoyed what the Sandman brought to the table with "100% Fresh," then you're going to love this. Throughout the show, Sandler has stand-up style bits ranging from typical amusing observations and anecdotes from his family life and fan interactions. But the best jokes come from extended, imagined scenarios, such as one where he's threatened through the mail by a one-foot tall man named Charlie Mungo, or a sexual encounter with a balloon that Sandler let float into the air after a party. That last one in particular feels like it has the potential to be a hilarious short film reminiscent of The Lonely Island's SNL Digital Short days.

But as has often been the case since his early days at "Saturday Night Live," it's Sandler's musical bits that have the strongest impact, with some assistance from "SNL" writer Dan Bulla singing occasional back-up vocals and keyboard. One tune in the same vein as the "Rawhide" theme song (with Sandler whinnying like a horse an mimicking a whip crack) has Sandler masterfully strumming a Spanish guitar-style medley while singing about muttering under his breath while doing mundane things like mowing the lawn and going to the bank. Does Sandler actually do any of these things himself when he's reached this level of stardom? Honestly, it doesn't matter, because Sandler has such a home grown sense of relatability that you never question the legitimacy of these set-ups, unlike someone like Jerry Seinfeld, who feels more and more out of touch with average people everyday.

There are also extremely brief comedic interludes that don't quite qualify as full songs, such as one about ruining a great trip to Disneyland with the family when he shouts a certain expletive after missing his exit on the highway. Several of them take surprise turns at the end resulting in big laughs from a punchline that makes the slightly longer lead-in worth it. But it's the longer songs with varying musical styles where the best jokes come, including one funky track where Sandler muses about being concerned when a guy brings a backpack into the movies or a chubby cop being on horseback in a parade. Another framed as a Halloween costume adds an air of spookiness to Sandler's mother coming to stay with him with no return ticket booked back home, complete with a haunting "Oooooh!" throughout the melody. 

There's honestly not a bad bit in the entire special, at least when it comes to Sandler being on stage by himself.

Just as Rob Schneider appeared as an astronaut during one of Sandler's songs in "100% Fresh," the star of such cherished, timeless (*cough* awful) comedies as "The Animal" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," makes an appearance during "Love You." However, this time Schneider comes with some baggage that makes his involvement feel more gross than usual. You see, in the years since "100% Fresh" debuted, Schneider has become a vocal opponent of vaccines, and he's even taken to becoming a bit of a spokesperson for the far-right fringe. He was even booed off a stage where he was booked for a fundraising event in Canada because of his anti-trans material. So in addition to Schneider never really being all that funny without Sandler, his presence might lead to some viewers rolling their eyes and others being downright uncomfortable.

It doesn't help that what Schneider does during the show isn't particularly funny. The actor inexplicably appears as Elvis Presley, doing an earnest impression of The King in his trademark, rhinestone-studded white jumpsuit. Don't get me wrong, Schneider does a surprisingly decent impression of Elvis, right down to a decent singing voice. But other than the impression, the bit is just Schneider singing and occasionally shaking his ass with the camera focused on his dump truck. Why is this a bit? I couldn't tell you, and I wish I knew. But my best bet is that Schneider needs paychecks, and Sandler likes to help out his friends. It's just a shame that this particular friend sucks.

How do you top a beautiful musical tribute to the incomparable Chris Farley? The answer is you don't. Instead, Sandler offers up another touching ballad that honors all the comedians, shows, and movies that have made him and every member of his audience laugh over the years. In what feels like a folksy, sentimental, comedy version of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," Sandler lists off everything from "I Love Lucy" and "The Three Stooges" to "Superbad" and "Bridesmaids" and name-drops the likes of David Letterman, Sam Kinison, Chris Rock, Benny Hill, Carol Burnett, Lorne Michaels, and so many more, including some of Sandler's closest collaborators like Steve Buscemi, Ben Stiller, David Spade, and of course the late Chris Farley and Norm MacDonald.

The driving force of the song is thanking the art of comedy for being able to pull us out of the darkest days we've ever had. No matter what's bothering us, turning on "Jackass" or "Saturday Night Live" or "Airplane!" provides exactly the reprieve we need. The song is accompanied by video on the monitors, which are now fully operational (and were never really out of service to begin with), with clips from all of these respected comedians, shows, and movies, and it brings some warm feelings to your heart. Even if it's a tad saccharine, it's Sandler's earnestness as a comedian that makes it sing, literally and figuratively. 

With "Love You," Sandler again proves that he can continue to be one of those people that brings joy to audiences through silly songs and nonsensical riffs about the most ridiculous things. Maybe in the 22nd century, someone else will write a tribute song to Sandler and the next generation of comedians that inspired a whole new wave of comedy. Unless Charlie Mungo gets to them first. 

/Film Rating 8 out of 10

"Adam Sandler: Love You" is now streaming on Netflix.