The Do-Over
The Do-Over is a 2016 American action comedy film directed by Steven Brill and written by Kevin Barnett and Chris Pappas, starring Adam Sandler and David Spade as two friends who fake their own deaths to reinvent their lives, only to become entangled in a deadly conspiracy involving the FBI and international criminals.[1][2] The story centers on Charlie (Spade), a mild-mannered bank manager in a supermarket unhappy with his routine existence and failing marriage, who reconnects with his successful high school buddy Max (Sandler), an FBI agent, at a class reunion.[3] Charlie persuades Max to join him in staging an explosion that simulates their deaths, allowing them to escape their pasts and assume new identities as wealthy doctors in a small town.[1] However, their fresh start unravels when they learn that their assumed personas were originally held by men targeted by a ruthless crime syndicate, forcing the duo into a frantic cross-country chase filled with chases, shootouts, and absurd mishaps.[2] The film blends buddy comedy tropes with over-the-top action sequences, emphasizing themes of midlife reinvention and the perils of deception.[3] Produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions in association with Netflix, The Do-Over was released directly to the streaming platform on May 27, 2016, bypassing traditional theatrical distribution. The supporting cast includes Paula Patton as Heather, the widow of one of the assumed identities; Kathryn Hahn as Becca, Charlie's love interest; and notable appearances by Sean Astin, Nick Swardson, and Michael Chiklis in roles that heighten the film's chaotic ensemble dynamic.[4] With a runtime of 108 minutes, it falls squarely in the genres of action, adventure, and comedy, showcasing Brill's signature style of broad humor honed from previous Happy Madison collaborations like Grown Ups.[2] Critically, The Do-Over met with largely unfavorable reception, earning a 9% approval rating from 23 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, where critics lambasted its reliance on crude jokes, excessive violence, and formulaic plotting reminiscent of earlier Sandler-Spade vehicles.[3] A review on RogerEbert.com by Brian Tallerico awarded it a half-star out of four, decrying the film's lack of wit and originality in its execution of the "do-over" premise.[5] Audience response was more divided but generally kinder, reflected in a 5.7 out of 10 average from over 55,000 user ratings on IMDb, with fans appreciating the stars' chemistry and escapist energy despite its flaws.[1] The movie's Netflix debut contributed to its visibility, amassing significant streams and underscoring the platform's growing role in original comedy content during the mid-2010s.Synopsis and Characters
Plot
Charlie McMillan, a middle-aged bank manager at a supermarket leading a monotonous life, attends his 25-year high school reunion, where he reunites with his charismatic old friend Max Kessler, who poses as an FBI agent.[6] Dissatisfied with his failing marriage to a cheating wife, distant children, and stagnant career, Charlie is persuaded by Max's impulsive plan to fake their deaths and reinvent themselves with new identities, promising excitement and escape from their midlife regrets.[7] After Max drugs Charlie during a weekend yacht trip, the pair stages a yacht explosion off the coast using cadavers obtained under Max's false claim of being a coroner, fooling authorities and loved ones into believing they perished. They adopt the identities of two recently deceased men—Dr. Ronald P. Fishman, a doctor, and Butch Ryder, an associate—undergoing painful tattoos and piercings to match their new appearances. Accessing a safety deposit box linked to their assumed personas (with Charlie using his banking skills to locate it), they uncover stolen cash and documents hinting at a vast criminal conspiracy involving a suppressed revolutionary cancer treatment developed by Dr. Fishman, targeted by the pharmaceutical company Trojgaard for profit.[8] Their adventure spirals into danger as hitmen led by "The Gymnast," mistaking them for the real Fishman and Ryder, target them relentlessly; the duo flees to a luxurious mansion in Puerto Rico, and later pursues the widow Heather Fishman to Savannah, Georgia, facing confrontations including at a biker bar while retrieving crucial evidence on the conspiracy from Butch's tablet. They learn Dr. Fishman and Butch conducted secret clinical trials for the non-FDA approved cancer cure, with Butch having stage four cancer himself, and that Heather killed them to bury the formula. Max's bravado clashes with Charlie's growing caution, forcing them to rely on wits and rediscover their bond amid gunfire and narrow escapes.[9][8] In the climactic confrontation with Heather and the assassins, with help from Becca, Charlie and Max retrieve and back up the cancer cure formula on a USB drive, overpower the villains, expose the plot to the FBI using the evidence, and trade the formula for pardons. Max is cured of his cancer, and surviving the ordeal, they abandon their old lives and settle into new ones at the Puerto Rico mansion, affirming the redemptive power of friendship amid midlife reinvention.[6][9]Cast
The principal cast of The Do-Over is headed by Adam Sandler and David Spade, who portray the film's central duo of longtime friends navigating a chaotic new beginning.[4] Sandler and Spade, reuniting on screen after their collaborations in Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013), bring their established comedic chemistry to the roles.[10]| Actor | Role | Character Function |
|---|---|---|
| Adam Sandler | Max Kessler | Charismatic high school friend and guidance counselor who poses as an FBI agent and later a coroner, persuading Charlie to fake their deaths for a fresh start.[4] |
| David Spade | Charlie McMillan | Dissatisfied bank manager at a supermarket trapped in a dysfunctional family life with a cheating wife and distant children, who joins Max's scheme to escape his regrets.[4][5] |
| Paula Patton | Heather Fishman | The alluring and duplicitous wife of Dr. Ronald Fishman whose identity Charlie assumes, serving as a key antagonist who complicates the protagonists' escapades with her criminal ties.[4][11] |
| Kathryn Hahn | Becca | Max's ex-wife, who later aids in the climax by helping defeat Heather amid the absurdity.[4][5] |