Adam Sandler (“Happy Gilmore”, “The Wedding Singer”) stars in “Billy Madison”, an underwhelming comedy that is like “Forrest Gump” if it had the same writers as “Dumb And Dumber”. Some claim that this is one of Sandler’s best films but that does not mean all that much.

Billy Madison (Sandler) is lazy and arguably mentally-challenged but he is prepared to prove himself if it means he can inherit his family’s vast hotel empire. Billy proposes that he repeats all his school years, doing each year in a fortnight. However, a snivelling rival (Bradley Whitford “Saving Mr. Banks”) intends to stop Billy from succeeding so that he can he take control of the company.

Adam Sandler is unpleasant and annoying as Billy. We do not want to see this protagonist win because he is rude, immature and moronic. During his time back at school, Billy falls in love with one of his teachers, the charming Veronica (Bridgette Wilson “Mortal Kombat”). Wilson’s character is kind, attractive and intelligent yet for some reason, ends up actually falling for Billy. Some of the other characters are rather boring but the cameo by Steve Buscemi (“Reservoir Dogs”) is actually quite funny. A lot of people seem to like the cameo by Chris Farley (“Tommy Boy”) but I did not think that it was anything special.

“Billy Madison” is a stupid film with lots of mediocre gags. There are a few funny moments in here so it is not all bad but again, the big issue I have is with Sandler and his personality. This is not a terrible comedy but it pales in comparison to earlier films such as “Caddyshack”, “The Jerk”, “The Blues Brothers” and “Stripes”. Maybe a lot of it has to do with the writing but I also think the personalities of the stars were a significant factor in making those movies enjoyable.