‘Bedtime Stories’ is Family Fun without the Animation
-----On the rebound from this summer’s dreadful ‘You Don’t Mess with the Zohan,’ many wondered whether or not Sandler could do a film friendly for all ages. So few are the family flicks that aren’t animated anymore, Sandler had his work cut out for him. The result is a fun film that should entertain children and adults alike.
-----The film starts with loser Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) working as the handyman at a major hotel. The hotel was originally owned by his father, but when a major corporation owned by Barry Nottingham stepped in; Skeeter was forgotten as a possibility for future managerial positions. When he has to watch his soon to be unemployed sister’s children for a few days, he finds that they demand a story to put them to sleep. Having no books in his possession, he’s forced to come up with his own bedtime stories. He’s naturally surprised the next day when the stories he told start coming true. With this new found ability come many possibilities. Most important on Skeeter’s list of goals; get the management position at Nottingham’s upcoming, brand new super hotel.
-----While the plot sounds a bit corny and cliché, it is handled the way it should be, with a fun and light mood filling every scene. Sandler is typical Sandler, and the rest of the cast plays their respective roles with a certain quaintness. Keri Russell plays reality anchor, love interest Jill, and Guy Pearce portrays Skeeter’s position competition, Kendall. Russell Brand of ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ fame is absolutely hilarious as Skeeter’s easy going friend Mickey. And while you don’t expect any groundbreaking performances in a film such as this, everyone seems very in tune to the mood and spirit of the movie.
-----The effects work well in the movies’ context, and are often fun and entertaining to look at. The overall comedy is kept to a reasonable standard, and while you may not find yourself roaring with laughter, you’ll certainly have a good number of chuckles along the way. I found it refreshing to see a film tailored toward all ages (children being the primary demographic of course) that didn’t rely on animation and cg characters but still effectively entertained. It’s also nice to see Sandler back in films with a little more innocence and a lot less raunchiness. I think this is a film that does a nice job of consistently entertaining, and will ultimately leave you in a good mood.
