Back in 2020 Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions came together with director Tyler Spindel and conceived “The Wrong Missy”, an atrocious David Spade led comedy in-name-only for Netflix. The two give it another whirl with “The Out-Laws”, the new action-heist comedy that manages to be an improvement over their last effort. But let’s be honest, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement.

“The Out-Laws” sees Adam DeVine playing Owen Browning, an oblivious young bank manager, as nerdy as he is naive, who’s all set to marry the girl of his dreams, Parker McDermott (Nina Dobrev). With their special day fast approaching, the couple are surprised by an email from Parker’s parents, Billy (Pierce Brosnan) and Lilly (Ellen Barkin) saying they are coming to the wedding. Parker hasn’t seen her folks in years and Owen has never met them.

Well wouldn’t you know it, shortly after Billy, Lilly, and their mammoth-sized personalities arrive Owen’s bank is robbed. All signs point to his soon-to-be in-laws being the culprits but Owen needs proof before accusing them, especially to Parker. Hijinks and numerous vain attempts at humor ensue.

It’s hard to know how much else to share because it’s not like the story offers anything fresh or even interesting. Spindel, with screenwriters Evan Turner and Ben Zazove, run with the ‘are they or aren’t they outlaws’ bit for a while before cranking up the action in the final 30 minutes. That’s when things really get silly. Through it all the jokes steadily become less and less funny while DeVine’s act quickly grows stale and irritating. Needless to say it doesn’t take long for his character to wear out his welcome.

Along the way we’re treated to a number of other characters, many played by some great faces. The always fun Michael Rooker squeezes out a few laughs playing an FBI agent investigating the bank robbery. I can’t say the same for Lil Rel Howery who is essentially playing yet another Lil Rel Howery character. Laci Mosley and Daniel Andrew Jablons have some good moments as Owen’s bank employees but they’re barely around. The only semi-reliable source of giggles is Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty as Owen’s odd-duck parents. They’re able to generate some genuine laughs and somehow make the cringiest material digestible.

“The Out-Laws” is the kind of throwaway movie that many people use to give streaming comedies a bad name. It’s generic, formulaic, and not nearly as funny as it wants to be. The writing is all over the map – funny on occasions but mostly bad. Meanwhile the performances range from decent to dreadful. All together it makes for the kind of processed time-muncher custom-made for people sitting on their couches to click on once and then never watch again. It’s not much to strive for, but if that was the goal I guess it succeeded. “The Out-Laws” is now streaming on Netflix.

VERDICT – 1.5 STARS