Anger Management (2003)

the ending makes the movie

This is one of those times when the ending absolutely makes the movie. For much of the movie, I was holding myself back a bit. The situations were funny, but they were extreme, and while I don't mind unbelievable situations in movies, I enjoy them more from a distance. When I got to the end, though, it all made sense, and the movie went from a 3-star, average comedy to a 4-star comedy/drama.

Dave (Adam Sandler) is on a plane and people start completely overreacting to his simplest request, accusing him of being belligerent. It escalates, and he finds himself arrested and sentenced to anger therapy with Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson). Again, things escalate, and Buddy ends up moving in with Dave and shadowing him everywhere, even moving in on Dave's girlfriend (Marisa Tomei).

I started out the movie being angry on Dave's behalf, then gradually became irritated with him for allowing all these things to continue happening to him--in retrospect, it was a very effective bit of filmmaking, because that's exactly what I believe the audience was intended to feel.

Adam Sandler was believable as the mild-mannered, put-upon young businessman. Jack Nicholson, however, seemed way over the top, until, as I said, the end, at which point he seemed perfect.

Much fun, and better than I expected. It was a good way to spend a family evening, and even engendered serious conversations about the management of anger. November 23, 2008

Daft and slightly forced

Unquestionably this movie was never going for plausibility. A relatively mild-mannered man, Dave Buznik finds himself in the charge of Buddy, a slightly potty anger management therapist, after an altercation on a plane finds Dave in court. Of course, the fact he's mild-mannered is half the joke... I never really found Adam Sandler funny. He's far better as a straight actor with a light-hearted approach. This movie confirms this, as Jack Nicholson, as Buddy, is a class above him at all times. Jack is simply funnier, and Hollywood royalty. As for 'laugh-factor', yes there are definitely some funny moments, especially if you leave your brain at the door, but it's not what it perhaps could have been. I feel more could have been made of the rest of the cast, such as Torturro, Guizman, Harrellson (small part). But overall it's reasonable. Best moment is a cameo by a certain sports star... October 9, 2008

lightweight bubblegum with a few laughs

I'd be tempted to slam "Anger Management" as another slice of lighthearted, sanitized mental-illness swill from Hollywood (it does play out like "28 Days" meets "The Dream Team"), if it wasn't for Jack Nicholson's manic performance--he hasn't been this funny since "The Shining." Adam Sandler does well, and exhibits some control as a guy with problems containing his rage (I'll admit...I've never seen any of his other movies). But poor Marisa Tomei...the girl who once won an Oscar has become one-dimensional background scenery, indistinguishable from any would-be starlet. The movie's lowbrow humor and endless parade of cameos gets tedious near the end, and from the overhead shot of a packed baseball stadium that kicks off the last act, anyone who's even half-awake will be able to predict the unforgivably sappy conclusion. Average entertainment redeemed somewhat by Nicholson's inherent zaniness. September 4, 2008

Hilarious!

Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson star in this movie about a person named Dave (Sandler) who has to take Anger Management classes for "abusing" a woman on a plane. From then on everything goes from bad to worse for Dave. I overall enjoyed watching this movie. It has a lot of funny parts to it. It definately gets its PG-13 rating from some of the language in it, though. But overall, its a great movie. June 18, 2008

wickedly funny

adam sandler & jack nicholson can't get any funnier than this, this movie is so funny that it'll have you lauhing until you cry. this is a good movie. May 26, 2008

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