'Jack and Jill' review

Adam Sandler and Katie Holmes (Credit: Tracy Bennett/Sony)

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Needy Bronx spinster Jill (Adam Sandler) thinks the world of her twin brother, Jack (also Sandler), an L.A. ad exec. Jack thinks Jill is like a wart that won't go away. A Thanksgiving reunion turns awkward for Jack, his wife (Katie Holmes) and their kids when Jill keeps extending her stay. But there's a silver lining: A big actor whom Jack is desperately trying to land for an ad campaign has the hots for Jill—and he happens to be Al Pacino (playing himself).

The buzz: Actors doing drag can be a dicey affair. When they fly, you get classic performances like Dustin Hoffman in "Tootsie" and Hilary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry." When they crash, you get the Wayans brothers in "White Chicks" and lots of actors in very bad fat suits (John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, Eddie Murphy). Enter Sandler, who attempts to bring his own brand of irreverent shvitzing to the genre.

The verdict: An actual sex-change operation might have been less painful than this malodorous lug of a laffer, which takes pride in just how stinky it is—literally. "Jack and Jill" is a spectacular parade of flatulence, poop jokes, night sweats and pit stains. Not passed out yet? Then, please breathe in the residual stench of dialogue like this: "We shared Mom's womb—we're womb-mates!", which shrill Jill utters to a disgusted Jack. And he should be: As a character, Jill is a wince-worthy work of grotesque beauty. It's as if Sandler swallowed Barbra Streisand's version of Fanny Brice, helped himself to a second serving of Mike Myers' Babs-obsessed SNL character Linda Richman, belched from indigestion, and regurgitated it all out as Jill. It's almost enough to distract you from the fact that Holmes—useless and thankless—looks utterly lost. Almost. Then there's Pacino, who subjects the audience to such embarrassing self-parody, he might need to hand back his Oscar. Or pull a Hilary Swank and fire his reps. The only person who earns a good chuckle here is kid actor Rohan Chand, who plays Jack's India-born son and gets to lob a few funny lines. Barring that, even a nursery rhyme redeems itself better than this movie. Maybe "Jack Be Nimble" might have been a better inspiration. As in: be nimble, be quick, so you can get the hell off that screen. Pronto!

Did you know? Never underestimate the appeal of Sandler. The actor-producer managed to land big-name cameos in "Jack and Jill," including guest spots from Johnny Depp, Regis Philbin, Christie Brinkley and Drew Carey.

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