Hellish Blended Retreat

Such a Great Duel

I thought I was sufficiently recovered from the Red Viper’s epically tragic battle with The Mountain  on Sunday night followed by Jack Bauer’s return to the body count column on Monday that I could stomach the latest Adam Sandler movie, Blended, for date night.  It was a close call. 

Thankfully It Was Just Acting - The Red Viper's Head Reassembled Post Fight

Blended reunited Sandler with Drew Barrymore who for whatever reason seems to bring out the best in Sandler.  They were very good together in both the Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates.  The chemistry is still there and their scenes together are the only thing worth watching in this movie.  Sandler’s usual bunch of buddies pop up throughout the movie in their normal bit parts including a cameo from a character from 50 Dates.

Those are about the only elements that work in this very long movie (at least it seemed long).  The story about a bad blind date followed by an accidental African joint vacation with accompanying children had some possibilities but all too often opted for the cheap bathroom humor that has become Sandler’s shtick for the last decade.  It doesn’t help that the kids (especially the boys) are true horror shows acting and their accompanying plot lines.  We do get one of the Expendables (Terry Crews) popping up repeatedly at inappropriate times to serenade the audience backed up by accompanying choir.  I’m not kidding, that really happens and is so awkward as to defy adequate description.  Crews should stick to his machine gun.

See, I Wasn't Kidding

I finished off my latest foray into the sci fi world of future marines with Christopher Nuttall’s Retreat Hell.  This novel returns to the mainstream characters struggling to survive in the post empire galaxy.  The stalwart marines are called to task by politicians for the disastrous events of the previous book and then have an interstellar war drop into their laps.

Nuttall has a tendency to over analyze everyone’s inner thoughts (something many female sci fi writers are guilty of).  It’s a shame because he does a fabulous job with the ebb and flow of the actual battles.  I was just about to give up on this one when the second half battles started up and his brilliance in describing action shined.  While I think he gives entirely too much luck and ability to the bad guys I truly enjoyed the second half of the book even though it ends on a real downer.

This book is unapologetically setting the stage for a sequel (or three or four) covering the interstellar war that starts at the end of this book.  I think I’m going to give Nuttall a rest until he’s finished those books so I can devour them together. I just hope he doesn’t kill off too many of the great characters he’s spent the last seven books building up.