Grown Ups 2: Comparing It To The Original Film

6 min read Post on May 12, 2025

Grown Ups 2: Comparing It To The Original Film

Plot and Storylines: A Tale of Two Summers

The Original Grown Ups: A Trip Down Memory Lane

Grown Ups follows five childhood friends – Lenny, Eric, Kurt, Marcus, and Rob – who reunite after 30 years for a summer of fun and rediscovering their bonds. The film’s core themes revolve around friendship, nostalgia, and confronting the challenges of adulthood.

Key Plot Points: The central plot revolves around a pivotal childhood basketball game that continues to shape their adult lives. The film explores their evolving relationships, both individually and as a group.
Character Dynamics: The dynamics between the five friends are central to the movie's success, showcasing their distinct personalities and comedic interactions.
Core Themes: The film cleverly blends humor with heartfelt moments, exploring the complexities of adult friendships and the lasting impact of childhood experiences.

Grown Ups 2: A New Chapter, Same Friends

Grown Ups 2 sees the same five friends return, this time facing new challenges in their suburban lives. The sequel shifts the setting to a quieter, suburban environment, contrasting sharply with the original’s bustling summer setting.

New Challenges: The characters navigate new obstacles including raising teenagers, dealing with family issues, and adjusting to the changes in their lives.
Introduction of New Characters: The sequel introduces new characters, particularly the children of the main characters, adding a fresh dynamic to the narrative.
Shift in Tone and Themes: While still comedic, Grown Ups 2 takes a slightly different approach, leaning more heavily on slapstick and physical comedy compared to its predecessor. The themes of friendship remain, but the focus shifts towards family and the challenges of parenthood.

Comparison: Plot Effectiveness

While Grown Ups boasts a more cohesive and emotionally resonant plot, Grown Ups 2 offers more chaotic and, for some, more laugh-out-loud moments. The original's focus on rediscovering childhood friendships proves more impactful, whereas the sequel’s broader, less focused plot might feel less satisfying to some viewers.

Character Development: Have They Grown Up?

Returning Cast: Evolution or Stagnation?

Grown Ups introduced us to distinct personalities, and the sequel attempts to build upon this. However, the degree of character development varies:

Lenny (Adam Sandler): Remains largely consistent, showing some growth in his family life but retaining his core characteristics.
Eric (Kevin James): Experiences some growth, demonstrating more maturity and responsibility.
Kurt (Chris Rock): Shows a similar arc to Eric, showing a bit more maturity and depth.
Marcus (David Spade): Remains mostly the same, providing consistent comedic relief.
Rob (Rob Schneider): Remains eccentric and delivers many slapstick moments, but shows minimal character development across the two films.

New Characters and Their Impact

Grown Ups 2 introduces the children of the main characters, creating new comedic opportunities and offering fresh perspectives on the central themes. However, these new characters occasionally overshadow the original core group.

Impact on Dynamics: The addition of new characters sometimes disrupts the well-established dynamics between the original five friends.
Contribution to Narrative: While providing humorous moments, the new characters don't significantly enhance the film's overarching narrative.

Comparison: Character Growth

The original Grown Ups gives the impression of more thoughtful character arcs, even if subtle. Grown Ups 2, while providing comedic moments through its new characters, ultimately fails to offer the same depth of character development.

Humor and Tone: A Laugh Riot or a Mild Chuckle?

The Comedic Style of Grown Ups: A Blend of Styles

Grown Ups employs a variety of comedic styles, including:

Slapstick: Physical comedy is used liberally, particularly in the basketball scenes.
Observational Humor: The film relies on relatable situations and observations about adulthood and parenting.
Character-driven Humor: Much of the humor derives from the unique personalities of the five main characters.

The Comedic Style of Grown Ups 2: More Slapstick, Less Heart

Grown Ups 2 leans more heavily on slapstick and crude humor than its predecessor.

Shift in Style: The sequel attempts to amp up the comedic elements, often prioritizing boisterous slapstick over more nuanced humor.
Effectiveness of Humor: While some find the sequel funnier, many critics felt the shift in style was detrimental to the overall quality.

Comparison: Comedic Effectiveness

Both films offer laughs, but Grown Ups's blend of physical comedy, observational humor, and heartfelt moments lands more effectively for a broader audience. Grown Ups 2's heavier reliance on slapstick might appeal to specific tastes, but it lacks the finesse of its predecessor.

Critical Reception and Box Office Performance: A Commercial Success?

Review Roundup for Grown Ups: A Mixed Bag

Grown Ups received mixed reviews upon release. While it garnered considerable box office success, many critics felt it lacked depth and originality.

Box Office: The film performed well at the box office, becoming a commercial success.
Critical Response: Reviews were generally lukewarm, praising the cast's comedic chemistry but criticizing the predictable plot and juvenile humor.

Review Roundup for Grown Ups 2: Even More Criticism

Grown Ups 2 faced even harsher criticism than its predecessor, with many reviewers pointing to its weaker plot and reliance on slapstick.

Box Office: While it still performed reasonably well at the box office, it did not match the success of the original.
Critical Response: The sequel was largely panned by critics, who considered it inferior to the original in terms of both comedic timing and overall narrative.

Comparison: Commercial and Critical Success

While both films achieved commercial success, Grown Ups resonated with a larger audience and received marginally better critical reviews. Grown Ups 2's drop in critical acclaim suggests the formula might not have sustained its success on a sequel.

Conclusion: The Verdict on Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2

This comparison reveals that while both Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2 offer moments of comedic relief, the original film holds a stronger position due to its more cohesive plot, well-developed character arcs, and more balanced comedic style. While the sequel provided additional laughs for some, its reliance on crude humor and less compelling narrative ultimately falls short.

Which Grown Ups movie reigns supreme? The answer, based on this analysis, is the original. But what are your thoughts? Which of the Grown Ups movies, or even Adam Sandler movies in general, do you prefer? Share your opinions on these Adam Sandler comedies and your favorite moments from the Grown Ups movies in the comments section below! Let's discuss these classic Grown Ups movies and the Grown Ups sequel!