I didn’t expect much from this movie – I guess I hoped for something along the lines of Spanglish. It looked like another funny-but-somewhat-serious-Adam-Sandler-movie. This one didn’t have quite the seriousness of Spanglish, but it did have a serious side. Michael Newman is a workaholic who finds a remote in a weird, part of Bed, Bath, and Beyond. He learns that the remote doesn’t control a TV set; it controls his life. He soon begins fast-forwarding through arguments, boring dinners with his parents, and sex. When the remote starts to “learn” his preferences and begins to auto-pilot Michael’s life, he realizes he’s missed over half of his life. Besides the unbelievable parts (finding Christopher Walken in a labratory in Bed, Bath, and Beyond) and the so-so humor, I have to admit, I did cry at the end of the film. I’m a sucker for sappy endings. :-)
Rating: **