The 30 or so years of Westward expansion have consistently resulted in over three times the amount of years of story telling. Throughout this expanse of creative output, some works have fuelled recallable clichés, and recognisable tropes are recalled almost 200 years on. In 2016, Adam Sandler in the genesis of his four-film commitment to Netflix started with a parody of the tropes and tales, updated with the humour that Sandler et al. are commonly known for in The Ridiculous 6.

The Ridiculous 6 are half-brothers, who find out that they’re all related and that their father is in grave danger. What follows is the various Western-inspired capers as these brothers try “earn” $50,000, to save their dad from his former gang that wants their stolen loot, that they believed he pocketed. Along the way, the sextet run into famous faces, pull off some increasingly daring heists, and provide a bucketful of laughs, as they live up to the name of The Ridiculous 6.

In attempting to skew the genre of the old west, Sandler and co. runs the gamete on classic cowboy clichés. From casino heists to poker games with a whose who of mid 19th century America. The result has an episodic quality that lends itself to the pacing and offers more sprawling vistas than you can shake a Colt 45 at. The brothers each fall into a stock depiction you might have seen from the library of Western-influenced content out there. From Sandler himself playing Tommy “White Knife” Dunson following the Jack Crabb route, but equipped with an impeccable aim and moves straight out of the Matrix. Donkey herder, Ramon, played by Rob Schneider allowing for an ample amount of animal excrement; Brothers Herm an unintelligible mountain dweller; Lil Pete, a quasi HIMBO with a strong neck; Danny, who slipped up the night Lincoln was assassinated and holds himself responsible; and biracial piano player Chico portrayed by Terry Crews. 

There are moments of hilarity where the Six in their quest bump into some of the biggest names in the 19th century. Doubleday’s baseball experiments remain one of the funniest elements of the film, and bring frequent Sandler contributor John Turturro into the mix. Yet, if you want to see the likes of David Spade as General Custer or Chris Parnell as a bigoted bank teller among others, you don’t have to go far. Gross-out gags are also on the menu, whether you want to see racists get their comeuppance with gallons of faeces or doctors showing utter disregard for the recent discovery of germ theory.

With a subject as touchy as the Wild West, how to best approach the depictions of that era both tactfully and historically accurately is influencing art today. Sandler and Co. don’t exactly share those concerns when it comes to this film. Sandler’s shocking humour style leads to some drop-dropping moments in this Western spoof. The commitment is certainly there, with Happy Madison bringing in a cavalcade of comedic alumni from S.N.L to help take his warped take on a distinctive era of pop-culture history. If you have reverence for the iconic genre, and a craving for more of Adam Sandler’s humour, The Ridiculous 6 isn’t as ludicrous as it sounds.

If you want more positive reviews delivered to the e-mail box of your choice, you can click on that little text bubble at the bottom of the screen. Do you agree or disagree? or have a suggestion for another pop-culture artefact that needs a positive light shone on it? Leave a comment in the comment box below! But remember to keep it positive!