Review

It’s really something to see Adam Sandler, king of rude and slapstick comedy, doing a children’s movie, but that doesn’t mean it’s any good. Bedtime Stories follows a young man whose father sells off his small hotel to a developer, thereby avoiding bankruptcy. The father asks the developer to let his son run the hotel but the developer hasn’t followed through on his promise after many years. Now the man’s son (Adam Sandler) is working as a general repairman at the hotel waiting for his big break. After being asked by his divorced sister to baby sit Sandler begins telling the kids bedtime stories, some parts of which come true the next day. He must learn how it works to get his way.

The story is boring, slow and only gives a few sympathetic laughs mostly brought on by Bugsy, the giant hamster. Just because it’s a kids movie doesn’t mean it has an excuse to be dull and boring. In fact, it should be the opposite. Although young kids will enjoy it, this movie is below even tween interest and will probably leave fidgety audiences with little to remember.

The bedtimes Stories are well done, despite Adam Sandler being more annoying than entertaining. They will take you from Rome to Space with decent CG effects and interesting sets.

What is really strange is that there is no real explanation of how this coming to life of the stories came to be or why it’s happening. It’s just happily accepted that these kids hold some power over real life through the stories.

All in all this seems more like a sad attempt to rob a young audience’s parents of their hard earned cash. However thanks to the lack of new kids movies out this month the movie will probably not fall on its face, although with school just beginning there’s no extreme need to see a movie this weekend.

Synopsis

Adam Sandler stars as a man whose nighttime tales do more than just put his nephew to sleep; instead, his imaginative stories become reality. This fantasy comedy for the whole family is directed by HAIRSPRAY helmer Adam Shankman.

Release Date

30 Jan 09 (SA) Dec 25, 2008 (USA)

Cast

Adam Sandler, Guy Pearce, Keri Russell, Richard Griffiths, Courteney Cox, Lucy Lawless, Teresa Palmer, Russell Brand, Aisha Tyler, Jonathan Pryce

Age Restriction

PG

Director

Adam Shankman

Tags: Adam Sandler, Adam Shankman, Aisha Tyler, bedtime stories, christmas day, Comedy, Courteney Cox, Guy Pearce, hairspray, Jonathan Pryce, Keri Russell, Lucy Lawless, nephew, Richard Griffiths, Russell Brand, synopsis, Teresa Palmer, trailer