You don’t go to an Adam Sandler movie to see some Emmy award-winning acting or for a well-written script. Quite simply, you pay to see an Adam Sandler movie to laugh your ass off, and that’s what you’ll do if you check out “Little Nicky,” Sandler’s latest flick in which he plays Nicky, the son of the Prince of Darkness himself, the Devil, played by Harvy Kietel. Nicky’s two brothers, Adrian and Cassius (Rhys Ifans and “Tiny” Lister) decide it’s time they get a chance to rule hell, but because dad doesn’t seem to be vacating his throne anytime soon, the brothers head to earth with hopes of transforming our world into their own personal hell to preside over. Predictably, Nicky is sent to earth to drag his brothers back home.
The acting in “Little Nicky” is vintage Sandler — nothing over the top, nothing overly fancy, just true-to-form humor (much of it crude) that’s always going to catch you off guard and make you laugh. The story obviously is far-fetched, even for Sandler, which is why the movie receives the lower rating. But he isn’t trying to sell you reality and he isn’t trying to impress you with an all-star cast. Instead, he fills his movies with guys he feels comfortable with, including some former “Saturday Night Live” buddies and the group of friends that’s been with him through his last few films. If you’re a Sandler fanatic, then you won’t be disappointed, even though “Little Nicky” doesn’t quite live up to his standards. But if you’re someone looking for a typical comedy or one of the year’s best films, then this probably isn’t for you.
2.5 / 5 Stars
Starring: Adam Sandler, Harvey Keitel, Patricia Arquette, Rhys Ifans, Tom, “Tiny” Lister Jr.
Director: Steve Brill
