Comedy sequels are a tricky beast, but when it comes to Adam Sandler and his merry band of chaos, the rulebook gets tossed out the window. Grown Ups 3 (2025) arrives as both a reunion and a reminder: some friendships—and some pranks—only get louder, dumber, and funnier with age.
The story picks up with Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler), who once again tries to anchor himself in the ideal of quiet family life. But Lenny’s hometown is a magnet for absurdity, and soon Eric (Kevin James), Kurt (Chris Rock), and Marcus (David Spade) find themselves swept up in a summer of mishaps that escalate faster than a backyard water fight gone nuclear. The formula is familiar, but that’s precisely the point: audiences don’t come for restraint, they come for the chaos.
This time around, director Dennis Dugan leans into the nostalgia while doubling down on set-piece mayhem. From a town festival that devolves into slapstick carnage to barbecues that end in literal firestorms, every scenario feels like a dare to top the last film’s most ridiculous gag. And somehow, the crew manages to pull it off—not with finesse, but with sheer commitment to looking as foolish as possible.
The heart of the film, as always, lies in its cast chemistry. Sandler is the laid-back glue, Kevin James thrives on physical comedy that borders on gymnastic, Chris Rock slips in razor-sharp one-liners that keep the jokes fresh, and David Spade—still the king of self-deprecating sleaze—proves he can milk awkwardness for gold. Salma Hayek, reprising her role as Roxanne, provides the much-needed counterbalance: exasperated, elegant, and somehow still charmed by Lenny’s antics.
One of the clever wrinkles in Grown Ups 3 is its focus on parenting gone hilariously wrong. The kids, once on the sidelines, now take center stage as they absorb (and misinterpret) their parents’ questionable life lessons. It creates a mirror effect: the younger generation stumbling through the same ridiculous mistakes, while the older generation realizes they may never actually “grow up.”
Comedy-wise, the film runs the full spectrum. There’s slapstick for the kids, innuendo for the adults, and that middle ground of awkwardness and chaos that Sandler’s crew thrives on. Not every gag lands, but the ones that do spark genuine laugh-out-loud moments. By the time the gang is stuck in yet another over-the-top showdown (complete with brawls, pratfalls, and sheer lunacy), you’re either rolling your eyes or rolling with laughter—and chances are, it’s both.
What elevates the film beyond being just another sequel is its honesty about friendship. Beneath the pratfalls and punchlines is a message about bonds that refuse to fade, even when waistlines expand and hairlines recede. The banter feels lived-in, like old friends who still find joy in outdoing each other’s stupidity. It’s this authentic warmth that makes the laughs resonate longer than the gags themselves.
Visually, the movie is sunny, colorful, and deliberately cartoonish. The small-town setting once again feels like a playground designed for pratfalls, with every location—from bowling alleys to lakesides—serving as a springboard for disaster. The cinematography never tries to be subtle, because subtlety has no place in the Grown Ups universe.
As with the previous installments, critics will likely roll their eyes while audiences roll in the aisles. Grown Ups 3 knows exactly what it is: a loud, silly, shameless comedy fueled by camaraderie and chaos. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it doesn’t need to. The film succeeds because it leans into what fans love: familiar faces, escalating gags, and the promise that no one ever really has to grow up.
By the final scene, when the gang comes together for one last ridiculous stunt, it’s clear that while time moves on, their antics—and their bond—are timeless.
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5 — Loud, silly, and laugh-out-loud hilarious.
