Just Go with It (2011)

If one grown-up in Just Go with It told the truth at any point, the whole movie would fold like a beach chair. Danny’s entire dating strategy is a fake wedding ring, and the movie still expects you to root for him. The lies stack up until the story needs a trip to Hawaii just to hold them all. Nick Swardson’s goofy cousin routine wears out fast, and Palmer gets written as a trophy, not a character. The surprise is Jennifer Aniston, who’s quick, dry and much better than the material, and her scenes with Adam Sandler have an easy, old-friends rhythm. Bailee Madison’s Maggie invents a terrible British accent for her fake backstory, and her brother negotiates his silence like a tiny mob boss. At 117 minutes, it’s a vacation that overstays its booking. Critics gave it 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 4.0 because the leads deserve a script with fewer fibs and fewer cheap gags. $3,866 says the next time a kid asks for something in exchange for keeping a secret, you pay up without even negotiating.

What works: Jennifer Aniston is quick and charming, her easy chemistry with Adam Sandler is real, and the kids get some of the sharpest laughs.

What doesn’t: The lie-on-lie plot runs way too long at 117 minutes, and too many jokes are cheap shots that go nowhere.

Who it’s for: Sandler fans who want a breezy vacation movie and don’t need it to make much sense.