[Movie Review] BEDTIME STORIES
I make no apologies for being a fan of Adam Sandler. And that is taking into account the fact that he has made some films that are barely able to be endured, let alone ones that work as comedies. I think he’s just one of those people that is just so damn likeable as a “real life human being” that it proves infectious in whatever work he does. You could put Will Ferrell and Steve Carrell in the same mould, really. With these guys, you like them so you’re prepared to go and suffer through Bewitched, Evan Almighty or *shudder* I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry because you often think of them as “worthy” of your support in ways that the likes of Martin Lawrence, Chevy Chase, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Jim Belushi and post-1990 Eddie Murphy are not!
Sandler’s last movie, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, built a lot of bridges with me that Chuck And Larry had torn down. There were some truly cringeworthy unfunny moments in there but they were constantly sandwiched in amongst some truly hysterical bits of comedy – the way it is with most Sandler comedies – so you would take the misses because the hits were so good.
But the notion of Sandler trapping himself within the confines of a Disney movie “for kids” (a la Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, lately), backed up by the over-rated comedy vacuum that is Russell Brand, and playing in a territory that the marketing campaign would suggest was very much in line with Sandler’s Click – a severely hit and miss comedy project – just didn’t appeal to me at all. Thankfully, I thought, he’s got Apatow’s much anticipated Funny People lined up so if Bedtime Stories stank then at least he had a safety net lined up for mid-2009.
That Bedtime Stories emerges as relatively likeable and some-what entertaining is the biggest surprise. It’s almost like the final result is an underdog fighting against stacked odds, only such odds are everything contained within the film itself. Weird huh? I think it’s testament to Sandler’s massive likeability factor that the film is bearable when, really if we’re all honest, it’s a tedious, mediocre mess at heart.
I’ve had three attempts at trying to write a plot outline for this film that would make it seem appealing to the army of you who have, somewhat understandably, got your arms crossed and your bodies braced against this film, shunning it away from making any sort of affectionate impact upon your time or attention. I failed each and every time and have decided to just fall on the mercy of the ‘automatic plot synopsis generator’ that is the IMDB in all its poor spelling and bad grammar (all of which remain unchanged):
Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce), who raises his son and daughter on his own, has to sell his homey motel to clever Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths) who promises to make Marty’s son manager, when he’s grown up and has proven himself. Nottingham pulls down the motel to raise a pricey hotel. Although grown up, Marty’s son Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) works as a janitor and general servant, but unlikely as it seems, he still dreams of becoming the manager. When Nottingham announces a brand-new gigantic hotel project, he makes his future son-in-law, base Kendall (Guy Pierce), manager, shattering Skeeter’s dream. At the same time Skeeter’s sister Wendy (Courtney Cox) has to leave town for a job interview and asks him to alternate looking after her two children Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit) and Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling) with Wendy’s responsible-minded colleague Jill (Keri Russell). He doesn’t get along with either Jill or the children, but his easy-goingness loosens them all up and once he starts telling his bedtime stories, the children grow fond of him and begin to bring in their ideas about how the stories should go. When the stories turn out to become true in real life, Skeeter tries to manoeuver the stories into a direction which will make his dream come true, too.
From that bit of plot coverage you’ll see that the comedy-cancer that is Russell Brand doesn’t get a mention right? That’s how utterly superflous he is to the movie. And that’s how he remains throughout. Every single scene he’s in stands out like a sore thumb, and not in a good way. But try and forget him. It shouldn’t be too hard as his appearance in this film is without any purpose. It’s almost embarrassing the level at which they’ve awkwardly shoe-horned him into this flick – everything he comes out with is like a tumble-weed has been set rolling across a vacant, ghost town. I’m willing to bet that there’s a hell of a lot of Russell Brand on the cutting room floor for this flick and that’s a good thing because he very nearly derails a film that is only just holding onto the rails as it is.
Ignore him and, instead, look at the rest of the cast that Sandler has supporting him – Guy Pearce for one. Yes, THAT Guy Pearce. In an Adam Sandler movie! And Courtney Cox-Arquette, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Lucy Lawless and Keri Russell and… What you lot turning your nose up for? Trust me, these are good under-rated talents I’m listing here, people!
The film’s “meat and veg” (i.e. the bedtime story fantasy sequences) are a mixed bag – some work, some don’t – which, as I said, is the normal common tone in an Adam Sandler movie, but the film also falters from having that slightly risque, obnoxious side helping of humour normally present in Sandler movies completely removed because, yup, it is a Disney tentpole ‘event’ picture. The main problem is that the fantasy sequences are not only a mixed bag but we’re being asked to endure them, and then endure them once more as a variation on them is then played out in the real world. Which means you don’t just have to suffer a clunker of a fantasy set-piece but then see it put on repeat straight after. It genuinely tests the patience. On top of this there’s no spark in the directing and the script is paint-by-numbers.
BUT it is entertaining for its target audience. I sat in with an audience full of kids on this one, and they lapped it up. It’s not a cool picture. It’s not a particularly high quality picture or one that you are going to want to shout from the rooftops about how brilliant it is, but as a safe, slick family film Bedtime Stories is worth giving some time over to if you’ve got kids over the age of eight. To judge it as a film, through the eyes of you or I, then Sandler is the only thing keeping this thing afloat (you could put the immensely talented and naturally radiant Kerri Russell forward as another factor, I suppose) and it would be fair to consider it a lame duck. But for the under tens then this will work well.
I just personally hope that Sandler doesn’t stick around making these sort of movies, and gets back to doing the stuff we came to love him for. You Don’t Mess With The Zohan was a move in that direction. This is a quick trip over a bump in the road for him, but he needs to not lose his footing and get back to the Happy Gilmore type of movies or, if he really is going to stick with sugary nonsense, then sometime more akin to Big Daddy.
For the “kids” you’d be pretty accurate in considering this:
For your average adult with even a minor amount of taste in film, then put this down as:
3 Responses to “[Movie Review] BEDTIME STORIES”
“I make no apologies for being a fan of Adam Sandler”
what?!
im sorry i was- stunned when i read your first paragraph…im just…i love adam sandler and love will ferrel..and you used their names without using the word “love” in the same sentence…
i hated the zohan but all his other movies TO ME, were gold.
mr deeds, longest yard, click, happy gilmore, billy madison ALL his movies are great
and will ferrel is also incredibly funny…in all his movies hes always in one scene were he is naked and displays his fat body and gross stomach scar…which i dont enjoy but find really funny
btw i see you mentioned guy pierce…my #1 pick for the daredevil movie like 5 years ago…but..ben asslick got the job….*sigh*
Who names their child…SKEETER?!
Assholes, that’s who.
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