If I were allowed to have it my way, I would have watched Will Smith's 'Seven Pounds' or David Fincher's 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', but I ended up watching this film for some laughs and gags as per my relatives' wish. Laughs? Yes. Gags? Yes. But everything else just lingers in plain normalcy in Adam Sandler's first (If I'm not mistaken) association with Walt Disney productions through 'Bedtime Stories'.
Synopsis:
Sandler's father used to run a motel in Los Angeles, and while starring at an apparent bankruptcy, he sells the hotel to a manipulative businessman who develops it as a state-of-the-art five-start hotel. He promised Sandler's father to give Sandler a chance to 'run the hotel' once he grows up. Instead, he employs Sandler as the maintenance man. The story is basically about Sandler finding that by telling bedtime stories which reflect his real life situation to his nephews, the stories manifest into reality the following day. So its all about how he uses these advantages to prove his worth to the world. Duh.
What was supposed to promise loads of adventure and a good-natured comedy is turned completely into a very typical Adam Sandler fare, only that it excludes a few more dirty jokes like what appeared in the recent disgusting 'Zohan'. When Disney are associated, I hoped they would make something along the lines of 'The Polar Express', and also with decent use of CGI to create cute fictional characters. When i saw the extremely cute big-eyed guinea pig, I set my hopes high of what was to come. End of the day, the guinea pig is all I would take home with me. So, its thumbs down story-wise.
But the film saves its own facet by providing plenty of laughs, the normal Sandler gigs are coupled with more decency so its a good time spent in the theatres. But nothing special for me to take it home and keep thinking about it. Few days down the road, I almost forgot that I have already watched the movie. Oh, I have. And its just that. That less than two hours in theatres is all that it lasts with. No ongoing impact. No strong reccomendation.
Adam Sandler is at his typical best, doing what he does best, provides a performance that carries the film on its shoulders. Courtney Cox looks old and aged as his sister, and looking at her brings back memories of watching 'Friends'. She's 45, but 45 is not too old an age for her to appear so disfigured from her normal self as she used to be in 'Friends'. And her character is not sketched well enough either. The scenes during the character's childhood indicate that it will become an ineteresting character, which in the end only came across as a pedestrian character. Teresa Palmer looks stunningly hot as the negative bitchy character of Violet, so much so that she still remains more desirable compared to the film's main female lead Keri Russell. The plot just isn't strong enough for us to feel sympathy towards Keri because the school is closing. Another weak character. Richard Griffiths make it an interesting watch, Rob Schneider in his regular Sandler cameo provides good laughs. To round it off, there is Russell Brand, is his sidekick role providing decent laughs, even if his 'sleeping disorder' gig is not that funny and looks dumb.
All in all, just something to pass your two hours with (if you are indeed that boring and in desperate need of some laughs.).
And watch out for that guinea pig.
My rating:
5.5/10
Verdict:
Watch it if your two hours is empty. Passable.
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