David Spade

There was nothing remotely notable about 2010's Grown Ups, and now we have a sequel that's even lazier. Without any actual plot to speak of, the movie merely strings together a series of unfunny scenes that include cheap gags and childish vulgarity but never a punchline. Sure, the scattershot approach might occasionally touch on recognisable situations, but there isn't a genuine laugh in the whole film.

After the reunion in the original movie, Lenny (Sandler) has moved back to his hometown with pals Eric, Kurt and Marcus (James, Rock and Spade). They're planning a big party just like in the old days, complete with a 1980s theme. But their children are getting older and have their own issues, including first dates and driving tests. And in Marcus' case, the kid is a teen thug (Ludwig) he only just discovered he had. But the real problem is that the guys have just sparked a turf war with a gang of idiotic fratboys from the nearby university. And now they have to prove once and for all who's really cool.

As with the first movie, you get the feeling that everyone on screen has somewhere better to be. There's no character development at all, since there are so many people spread across so many short scenes. Hayek, Bello and Rudolph are back as the guys' wives, but get exactly one thankless thing to do each. And it's not much better for the supporting cast of A-list cameo players like Buscemi (as a driving instructor), Lautner (as the fraternity leader) and so many more recognisable actors that you begin to wonder what dirt Sandler has on all of them.

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Eye-catching animation and non-stop jokes make this animated monster movie a lot more fun than we expect. It's packed with gross-out gags that will keep kids laughing, plus clever character-based humour for the grown-ups. And it also features one of the funniest performances in recent memory from Sandler, perhaps because we can't see him on-screen.

He provides the voice for Dracula who, after his wife died, built a secret hotel where monsters could escape from human contact. But a century later his daughter Mavis (Gomez) is about to turn 118 and wants to go out and explore the world, even though Dracula has always warned her that humans are evil. As the family friends gather for her birthday, human backpacker Jonathan (Samberg) haplessly wanders into the hotel. And since Dracula doesn't want anyone to think he's been lying about humans all this time, he has to think fast, passing Jonathan off as a member of the Frankenstein family who's here to plan Mavis' party. But in talking with Jonathan, Mavis becomes even more intrigued by the world outside the castle.

The film's tone is hugely livened up by the guests at this party, including Frankenstein (James), Wayne (Buscemi) the wolf, Griffin (Spade) the invisible man and Murray (Green) the mummy. Each of them has marriage and family issues of their own that stir into the general mayhem, adding throwaway sight-gags and rude one-liners in every scene. With so much coming at us, some things are bound to make us laugh. And while the kids will love the poo and fart jokes, older audiences will enjoy a witty jab at Twilight and a hilariously grim bingo game.

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