Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
We've heard from a fair sampling of folks about LITTLE NICKY now, and the concensus seems to be that if you're not an Adam Sandler fan going in, you certainly won't be coming out, so let's hear from someone who is a fan, the target audience for the film. How's it hold up for those who are already converts? OTTO MADDOX has the scoop...
Hi AICN,
OttoMaddox here. I'm a frequenter of your chat room, and recently, where I live, at the local theater, they were having advance showings of LITTLE NICKY tonight. So I figured I'd go and tell you about it. I wasn't expecting too much, considering how really hateful most of the reviews have been. But anyway, let me tell you what I thought...
First off, I'm an Adam Sandler fan, and I pretty much wear that as a badge of pride. Let's face it: the man has made some damn funny movie. Sure, they're childish, juvenile, and stupid, but we can't always go to the cinema expecting an intellectual experience. We often go just expecting a good time. And Sandler often gives us that with his films.
And without any hesitation, I willingly admit that I laughed my head off at his new movie, LITTLE NICKY, a comedy about the son of the Devil. It isn't Sandler's best movie (which would be HAPPY GILMORE), but it's certainly better than his last one, the mediocre BIG DADDY. Often times during the film, Sandler and co-writers Tim Herlihy and Steven Brill (who also directed) get too caught up in the fantasy elements of the movie.
But still, what can you say about a movie that has Harvey Keitel as the Devil? Or Rodney Dangerfield as Grandpa Satan? Or even features Dan Marino in a scene where he attempts to sell his soul so that he can win the Super Bowl? If those things don't bring a smile to your face, then you should stop reading this review right now. This movie isn't for you.
If they did, then keep reading. The film starts out with Jon Lovitz as a peeping tom who falls out of the tree he's hiding in and dies. We then watch his soul descend to Hell. Once there, we get the idea how things are run. Sinners are tormented, there's fire and brimstone, but what else would you expect from the home of the Prince of Darkness? Beezelbub himself, the Devil (Keitel), has served for over 10,000 years. It's time for him to pass the torch to one of his sons.
They include his evil minded sons Adrian and Cassius (Rhys Ifans and Tommy "Tiny" Lister, Jr.) and his sweet son Nicky (Sandler) who talks out of the corner of his mouth. Turns out when they were younger, Cassius hit Nicky in the face with the shovel, giving him a permanent speech impediment. But Satan announces that he's not going to pass the torch, but instead stay on the throne. And that pisses Adrian and Cassius off.
The two leave Hell and head for New York, so that they can start the "New Hell" there, converting people so that they can harvest their souls. But once the two leave Hell, they've sealed off the gate, which means no damned souls are getting into Hell. And that means Satan will decompose and eventually vanish. Nicky is then sent to Earth to bring his brothers back.
Once there, Nicky finds himself aided by a talking dog (a friend of Nicky's father), two Satan worshippers, and a struggling actor (Allen Covert). Nicky also gets to fall in love with an art student (an especially geeky Patricia Arquette), and meets his mom, a bubble-headed angel in Heaven (Reese Witherspoon, looking exactly how I personally picture angels to look like).
No, it's not comedic brilliance, but it's still often pretty damn funny. The direction by Steven Brill isn't perfect, but at least he keeps things moving at a nice quick pace, and the script by Sandler, Herlihy, and Brill has plenty of wickedness and cool creepiness. They also manage to stuff in some nice references to HAPPY GILMORE and THE WATERBOY, and there's a great cameo by Ozzy Osbourne. I also liked the nice nod Sandler gives to the late Chris Farley.
I found the voice Sandler gives Nicky sometimes very annoying, but it didn't prevent me from liking his character or enjoying the rest of the movie. I also enjoyed Keitel, Covert, Rodney Dangerfield, and Kevin Nealon as a ghoul who ends up having something interesting growing out of his head. I also liked seeing Witherspoon on screen again, and she remains the only reason why I really HATE Ryan Phillippe.
Yes, LITTLE NICKY is childish, stupid, and juvenile, but personally, I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, any movie that features scenes of Henry Winkler getting attacked by killer bees can't be all that bad.
So, anyway, that's it. Nothing much more to say. If you're an Adam Sandler fan and a lover of crude humor like me, you'll probably like it. If not, then please stay away so that people like us can have our fun.
Thanks,
OttoMaddox
