“Blended” wasn’t as bad as Adam Sandler’s other recent comedies like “Jack and Jill” or “Grown Ups 2,” but despite a few laughs, the film still fell victim to tired cliches and an abundance of predictable gags.

In Blended,” Jim, played by Adam Sandler, and Lauren, played by Drew Barrymore, are two single parents looking to get back into the dating world. After meeting at a disastrous blind date, the two both decide to swear off dating and focus on their kids. Soon after, an opportunity to take a trip to Africa falls into both of their laps with the only catch being that the families have to share a room, leading them to either learn to get along or lose their chance at experiencing Africa.

I wasn’t expecting much from this movie, and for the most part I got what I expected. The jokes were predictable with a random pop culture reference thrown in, but every now and then there was a worthwhile scene that actually got a few laughs. Terry Crews and his traveling band of singers were pretty funny, but for the most part the jokes were pretty tired.

One thing I did enjoy about the film was the cinematography. Africa looked beautiful, and the resort where they stayed looked fantastic. There weren’t quite as many exotic animal scenes as I expected, and a few times they went with CGI animals as opposed to real ones. Why go all the way to Africa to film if you’re not going to use real animals? It really seemed like a missed opportunity. As a whole, “Blended” is probably what most people expect from Adam Sandler these days: lazy, uninspired and forgettable. I would say it’s worth a Redbox rental but not much else.

2 out of 5 stars