Happy Madison fans will likely enjoy “The Wrong Missy,” a raunchy, throwaway comedy from Adam Sandler’s prolific production company. The film, now streaming on Netflix, certainly isn’t going to change the world, but it provides sufficient laughs to earn a passing grade.
Slightly nerdy Tim (David Spade) meets the girl of his dreams, Melissa (Molly Sims), during a brief encounter at an airport. The two are exactly alike, right down to their in-flight reading material. Melissa must rush to catch her plane, and she hastily send her number to Tim’s phone. He waits a day, but Tim is sure this woman is the love of his life and starts texting her. As their relationship quickly escalates, Tim invites her to his company’s corporate retreat at a Hawaiian island resort. All is well, until it turns out Tim has been texting the wrong woman — a past blind date from hell also named Melissa (Lauren Lapkus), who shows up for the weekend getaway.
It’s a funny (if predictable) premise with unlimited potential, and director Tyler Spindel does a decent job milking laughs out of the material. The straight-laced versus bananas dynamic will always provide comedy gold, and it mostly works here.
Spade brings his classic deadpan, sarcastic delivery, and Lapkus plays Missy with an over-the-top lunacy that’s outrageous, but works. (Think of Isla Fisher’s nutty Gloria from “Wedding Crashers;” Lapkus cranks that crazy up to an 11). It’s fun to see Tim’s stuffy boss (Geoff Pierson) react to Missy’s outrageous behavior, including lap dances for the office and drunken fortune telling.
Spade and Lapkus are a good comedy pair, and they make the most of the script. When you add in a couple of funny turns from the supporting cast of regulars (Nick Swardson, Rob Schneider) and a sincere Happy Madison trademark ending, all while lowering your expectations, then you’ve got a wacky comedy that provides a welcome diversion.
