Adam Sandler’s 8 Crazy Nights

Review by Clint Morris

It’s been 6 months - surely Adam Sandler has a new movie out by now? He does, yes, but you may have overlooked it.

The comedian’s latest incursion into cinema is actually an animated piece – created solely by the new Happy Madison animation studios – called Adam Sandler’s 8 Crazy Nights. Great, I hear you say, we can take the kids to this one too!

Ah, well, not so fast. Unless the kids are well initiated with excreta eating Deer, the constituent of a morning erection and unadvisable drunken behavior, you might want to make this toon strictly an adults night out only. And why not, it’s an all too atypical offering.

As unappetising as a grown-up’s only cartoon screening sounds, fans of Adam Sandler and his nonsensical sense of humour will welcome his latest effort with opens arms, because Eight Crazy Nights is nothing but side-splitting, richly coloured, instant classic laughs – all with the typical Sandler touch.

An idea that originated from the success of Sandler’s song, "Chanukah Song", 8 Crazy Nights is a Scrooged-like tale, with Sandler sitting contentedly as lead character, Davey Stone. His disdain for everyone and everything somehow stems from a tragedy many years earlier that robbed him of both childhood and family.

Staring a jail term in the face, thanks to his latest bout of crime, he’s saved at the right moment by infectiously odd and precariously old Whitey, a sweet little old youth basketball league referee, who suggests punishment would be better served on the basketball court.

As it turns out, the crazy old character ends up doing a lot more than putting him front row center at a game – he ends up taking him in too – which causes more than a little strain between Davey and the oddities that are Whitey and hilariously anomalous sister Eleanor.

While it’s nowhere near as polished or well-performed as Sandler’s Punch Drunk Love, 8 Crazy Nights is a return to the kind of Sandler we first saw in gems like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore - offensive to some, hilarious to others. He’s a discerning taste, but once you’re seduced by his charm and humour, Sandler really grows on you.

For a first – possibly last – animation effort, the film looks superb. Rich colours, deep textures, lively characters, nicely flowing narrative and some terrific – Sandler Penned – songs.

Significantly better than his last couple of movies and besides being little more than a pert adult toon treat, 8 Crazy Nights will still find it’s place on the medal board of all Sandler aficionados’ shelves.

3 out of 5

Adam Sandler’s 8 Crazy Nights
Australian release: Thursday December 12
Cast: Adam Sandler, Jackie Titone, Austin Stout, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, Norm Crosby, Jon Lovitz.
Director: Seth Kearsley.
Website: Click here

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