The Ridiculous 6 (six)

THE RIDICULOUS 6

Ridiculous 6 is not a good movie. Not by any stretch. But there's an interesting backdrop present - regarding its genesis - that's worth noting. In that this is Adam Sandler's first Netflix film as part of a four-picture deal made between the streaming giant and his Happy Madison production company.

The film is an overly-dumb, obvious, often lazy, obtusely offensive Wild West farce. This past summer, Netflix head Ted Sarandos tried his hand at pre-defending Ridiculous 6 - which had already made headlines after about a dozen Native American extras walked off the set last April due to feeling insulted - but it didn't go over well. In the end, this deal with Sandler is based on Netflix's own metrics, which they don't openly share. It reminds me of how FX would have all this quality programming, but then give Charlie Sheen an insta-hundred episodes of uber-awful Anger Management. Because Two and a Half Men reruns did well on the network and Sheen was a "known" sitcom presence. It was a cash grab.
There are smacks of that here. Netflix's original programming is more often than
not critically lauded material. Up for numerous awards and the recipient of mass praise. This is not that. This is designed to go after the audience that - well - basically says "I wonder what's on Netflix" and then winds up watching an old Adam Sandler movie. And Sandler himself knows that a lot of his audience is "at home" now. And the box office disappointment of several of his recent films seems to back that up.

The Ridiculous 6 - "Stockburn Documentary" Featurette

So perhaps this was a wise move. You know, for someone who's still intent on doing the same thing that brought him to the dance two decades ago. Perhaps more fading Frat Packers should follow suit. Vince Vaughn. Ben Stiller. Those who were once top-lining big comedy blockbusters. Maybe the idea is that, as they're overall presence loses some luster, their movies become more of something you just "put on." Have on in the background. Settle for. Like many of us do in a pinch when it comes to Netflix. When we know there are good things out there but just want to turn off our brain.
All that being said, this is still a crap fest. And overlong too. Two full hours, and with an unnecessary fourth act. Actually, A Million Ways to Die in the West was this long, too. There's absolutely no reason for Western comedies to be the same length as Unforgiven and Tombstone. Perhaps the creators just feel bad cutting moments featuring all the pretty, majestic scenery. Ridiculous 6, however, outstays its welcome mostly because it features everyone.
Sandler called in all his favors here as Ridiculous 6 features a cavalcade of names. Like Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, Taylor Lautner, Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, Steve Buscemi, Will Forte, Harvey Keitel, and Nick Nolte - just to name a spare few. And so long "time outs" are taken. To watch John Turturro's Abner Doubleday invent the game of baseball. Or watch David Spade's General Custer play poker with Vanilla Ice's "aw yeaaah" Mark Twain. Or to watch a donkey spray Chris Parnell with projectile diarrhea.

I realize in typing some of the above that it might sound outlandish enough to actually be funny. But it's not. The Doubleday stuff, honestly, is probably the best part of the movie from a laughs standpoint, but other than that this is a rough ride. Sandler himself seems desperately bored with the entire process.
Sandler either plays cartoonish characters (Waterboy, Zohan, etc), or he's left to mope around in "hero" mode - Where he's dry and somber and does nothing but react to idiots around him. Doling out a "Good luck with that" or an "Easy there, buddy" every now and again. It's the one character who's often smart, has no true flaws, and just sort of sleepwalks through the story. He was like this in Pixels this past summer.