It took Drew Barrymore to rescue Adam Sandler from himself. The new romantic comedy Blended is Sandler's best movie in years, a funny, lighthearted and--yes, cheesy--picture that has enough goofy antics to win over his most diehard fans yet is written in a way that won't offend broader audiences.

From Grown Ups to... well, Grown Ups 2... Sandler has been going through a rough patch, and punishing his fans accordingly. Before you begin to argue: Jack and Jill. With Blended, and thanks to director Frank Coraci (The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy), Sandler manages to rediscover at least some of what made his earlier movies work: innocent cheesiness with an extra dose of lightheartedness.

Barrymore and Sandler have pretty good chemistry together, and the child actors play their parts as they are expected to. None are great, and some of the kids come off as forced, but this is a Sandler movie: you can't expect too much, nor do you need to. With his movies, you shouldn't expect terrific performances or a seamless screenplay; all you can and should look for is some harmless laughs and silly antics.

And Blended delivers in that regard. The movie is stupid, cheesy and sometimes really stupid, but it's also fun, entertaining and funny. From silly African dancers/singers (led by an off-the-wall Terry Crews) to a dozen other things Sandler and his crew think up, Blended has more than a few things to get you giggling.

Sandler-isms aside, Blended isn't perfect. At just under two hours long, the romantic comedy is 20 minutes too long. A few segments could have easily been cut, and arguably the film's final 10 minutes could have been dropped completely. Just when you think Blended is going to get to the inevitable (Sandler and Barrymore getting together), the filmmakers try to get dramatic by stretching things on just a little longer. It's unnecessary and a waste of everyone's time.

If you've never liked Adam Sandler, Blended isn't going to change your mind. But if you don't mind his sense of humor, Blended is a refreshing return to form for the comedian.  All it took was a little Drew Barrymore.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.