The Bottom Line: SNL Tale of the Tape–Sandler vs. Ferrell

No Saturday Night Live alumnus since Eddie Murphy–not even the Austin Powersed Mike Myers–can boast such a lucrative film career as Adam Sandler.

And then there’s Will Ferrell, who immediately proved after leaving SNL in 2002 that he’s ready for primetime.

Sandler began headlining his own comedies in 1995, the same year that Ferrell joined SNL. But the ambitious Ferrell wants what Sandler‘s got, and he’s playing catch-up by making the hardworking Samuel L. Jackson look like a sloth.

So should Sandler be nervous? There’s only one to find out: Mr. Sandler, Mr. Ferrell, put on your gloves and climb into the ring.

Career Highs
Sandler: His man-childish ways appeals to anyone suffering from arrested development, resulting in five films since 1998 grossing more than $120 million.
Ferrell: Unlike David Spade and Rob Schneider, Ferrell doesn’t owe his achievements to Sandler. He’s in tight with the frat boys, thanks to his Old School lovable loser, and a family favorite following Elf and Kicking & Screaming.
The Winner: Sandler.

	Adam Sandler’s Greatest Hits
		1. Big Daddy  $163.4M
		2. The Waterboy    $161.4M
		3. Anger Management  $135.6M

Career Lows
Sandler: Perhaps the devil made him do Little Nicky.
Ferrell: Who voluntarily participates–not once, but three times!–in films based on SNL characters?
The Biggest Loser: Ferrell.

Last Seen
Sandler: Getting tongue-tied brushing up on his Spanglish.
Ferrell: Taking down overbearing daddy Robert Duvall on and off the soccer pitch in Kicking & Screaming.
The Winner: Ferrell.

Up Next
Sandler: After Spanglish‘s failure, the actor should emerge a summer MVP with his juiced-up remake of The Longest Yard (May 27).
Ferrell: The notion of Bewitched (June 24) as a film about a new version of the 1960s sitcom–starring Ferrell as an actor playing Darrin Stephens–sounds like a case of very bad magic.
The Winner: Sandler.

	Will Ferrell’s Greatest Hits
		1. Elf  $173.3M
		2. Anchorman    $85.2M
		3. Old School  $75.5M

The Future
Sandler: A remote control with special powers allows Sandler to pause, rewind and fast forward his life in Click (June 23, 2006). If so, can he please erase Little Nicky? He’s also producing comedies starring–surprise, surprise–Rob Schneider (Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo) and David Spade (The Benchwarmers).
Ferrell: Making Samuel L. Jackson look like a sloth, Ferrell tries his hand at dramatic comedy with Winter Passing (TBA), clears his throat for The Producers: The Movie Musical (Dec. 23), gives voice to the Man in the Yellow Hat in Curious George (Feb. 10), discovers his need for speed in Talladega Nights (July 14, 2006), and learns that life is Stranger than Fiction (2006). He also lends his presence to The Wedding Crashers (July 15), The Wendell Baker Story (TBA) and Tenacious D: In the Pick of Destiny (2006). And–take a deep breath–Ferrell‘s slated to make Elf 2, Joan of Bark: The Dog That Saved France and The Land of the Lost. Whew.
The Winner: Ferrell.

Playing Against Type
Sandler: His high-minded comedies fare worse than Little Nicky. Then again, Sandler came across as terribly passive in Punch-Drunk Love and Spanglish, suggesting he lacks the necessary dramatic weightiness to pull off such serious roles.
Ferrell: He essentially played Woody Allen in Melinda and Melinda, but it didn’t top John Cusack‘s Woodman impersonation Bullets Over Broadway. Winter Passing, with Ferrell as a wanderer, represents the best opportunity to see whether he add more substance to his comedy.
Winner: No decision.

	Adam Sandler’s Greatest Misses
		1. Airheads  $5.7M
		2. Mixed Nuts    $6.8M
		3. Punch-Drunk Love  $17.8M

Best Role That Got Away
Sandler: Driving Tom Cruise in Collateral, which earned fellow funnyman Jamie Foxx an Oscar nod.
Ferrell: Thwarting KAOS’ evil plans in Get Smart. His Anchorman cohort, Steve Carell, will now play the inept Agent 66.
The Biggest Loser: Sandler.

Coolest Posse
Sandler: Steve Buscemi and John Turturro lent Sandler comic credibility long before directors Paul Thomas Anderson and James L. Brooks knocked on his door. But SNL hangers-on Spade and Schneider need Sandler need him more than he needs them. And just how many times can we giggle at Schneider cheering on Sandler with his tired “You can do it” catchphrase?
Ferrell: Bump into Ferrell and you’re also likely to bump into Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson or Owen Wilson. And these encounters always somehow result in fits of laughter.
The Winner: Ferrell.

	Will Ferrell’s Greatest Misses
		1. The Suburbans  $11,130
		2. Melinda and Melinda    $3.7M
		3. Dick  $6.2M

Most Delectable Leading Lady
Sandler: Sandler and Drew Barrymore is a match made in heaven.
Ferrell: Slim pickings. By default, this dubious honor goes to Superstar‘s Molly Shannon.
The Winner: Sandler.

Most Quotable Line
Sandler: “The price is right, bitch!”–Happy Gilmore.
Ferrell: “Let’s go streaking!”–Old School.
The Winner: Sandler.

Best Reel Showdown with Real-Life Celeb
Sandler: Golf clubs fly when he and The Price is Right host Bob Barker engage in fisticuffs in Happy Gilmore.
Ferrell: Not-so-gentle giant Ferrell berates ex-Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka for not pushing their Little League soccer players beyond their physical limitations in Kicking & Screaming.
The Winner: Sandler.

The Bottom Line:
Sandler‘s an unstoppable force at the box office when he just wants to make us laugh. His Achilles’ heel remains his inability to persuade audiences to take him seriously. So expect more loud and crass comedies that continue to keep this master of the immature rolling in cash. Ferrell‘s off to fast start since graduating in 2002 from SNL, and it’s especially that he’s struck a chord with audiences of all ages. But Ferrell‘s commendable work ethnic could also be his undoing. It almost seems like he’s willing to take on every role other than of the new James Bond. Unfortunately, Ferrell runs the risk of overexposing himself, possibly resulting in a career-threatening case of audience fatigue. That leaves Sandler the winner.