ixed ▁or ▁average ▁reviews ". ▁Aud ien ces ▁survey ed ▁by ▁Cinema Score ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁grade ▁B + . ▁ ▁Nathan ▁Rab in ▁of ▁The ▁A . V . ▁Club ▁called ▁it ▁" S and ler ' s ▁best ▁movie " ▁not ing ▁that ▁" S and ler ▁poss esses ▁an ▁innoc ence ▁that ▁makes ▁the ▁mean - sp ir ited ness ▁inher ent ▁in ▁much ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁surprising ly ▁pal atable ." ▁Robert ▁K oe h ler ▁of ▁Vari ety ▁called ▁it ▁" a ▁step ▁forward ▁for ▁Adam ▁Sand ler , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁strategy ▁to ▁expand ▁his ▁audience . ▁While ▁the ▁loyal ▁male - teen ▁aud [ ience ] ▁core ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁disappoint ed ▁with ▁the ▁sp ate ▁of ▁g ags ▁just ▁for ▁them , ▁story ▁contains ▁solid ▁date - movie ▁material ." ▁ ▁Kenneth ▁Tur an ▁of ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁said : ▁" There ' s ▁no ▁doubt ▁Sand ler ▁is ▁tal ented , ▁but ▁if ▁he ▁pers ists ▁in ▁bel ieving ▁that , ▁like ▁El vis , ▁his ▁presence ▁alone ▁covers ▁a ▁mult itude ▁of ▁om issions ▁and ▁incons isten cies , ▁he ▁will ▁squ ander ▁his ▁gift ▁and ▁make ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁forget table ▁films ▁in ▁the ▁process ." ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Sun - Times '' ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁one - and - a - half ▁out ▁of ▁four ▁stars , ▁describing ▁the ▁main ▁character ▁as ▁" ser iously ▁dist urbed " ▁and ▁the ▁story ▁as ▁" predict able