Bedtime Stories
Adam Sandler’s bad streak continues with this, his worst movie yet. He plays a hotel handy man aspiring to run his own place, and the character totally lacks distinction. This is appropriate because the same holds true for the movie. A good premise, with an improvised children’s bedtime story becoming reality the following day, is totally blown out the filmmaker’s ass. The storytelling holds potential for true movie magic, yet the execution is unfocussed, sloppy and lame. Sandler seems lost in his role, as do Keri Russell and Guy Pearce. Pearce is especially awful in the villain role, a sad turn for a normally reliable actor. The fantasy sequences, including ancient Greece and a space adventure, are both bland and moronic. There’s also a token “funny pet,” a guinea pig with bug eyes. There are probably about 100 reaction shots featuring the stupid thing. A truly bad time at the movies, and easily one of 2008’s worst.