5.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
When somebody's mother is an angel and his father is the devil, life can be really confusing. For a sweet boy like Little Nicky, it just got a whole lot worse. His two evil brothers Adrian and Cassius have just escaped from Hell and are wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting Earth. His dad is disintegrating and it's up to Nicky to save him and all of a humanity by midnight before one of his brothers becomes the new Satan.
Starring: Adam Sandler, Patricia Arquette, Harvey Keitel, Rhys Ifans, Tommy 'Tiny' ListerComedy | 100% |
Romance | 9% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Little was expected of 1995’s “Billy Madison.” It represented Adam Sandler’s first starring vehicle, making use of his goofball screen presence and love of juvenile absurdity. The “Saturday Night Live” star wasn’t exactly the typical big screen comedian, but Sandler found his way to a decent moneymaker in a delightfully weird endeavor, building on that momentum with 1996’s “Happy Gilmore.” Sandler had a fanbase, but he turned into a bankable star after the releases of “The Wedding Singer,” “The Waterboy,” and “Big Daddy,” amassing a following that delighted in his bizarre sense of humor, forcing Hollywood to notice the actor and his A-list potential. Such incredible success and studio faith was put to the test in 2000’s “Little Nicky,” where Sandler and his Happy Madison Productions were entrusted with a large budget for the first time, aiming to create a dark comedy with extensive visual effects while still retaining Sandler’s love of stupidity. “Little Nicky” was Sandler’s first major bomb when it was released, with its extremity too much for audiences at the time, but the film isn’t a creative washout. It's noisy, and the screenplay is too permissive with lame Sandler- isms, but the feature holds together as an interesting experiment in overkill, going for a wild take on hellacious happenings with unpleasant characters, occasionally returning to the comfort of weirdness. It’s a tonal gamble that doesn’t entirely pay off, but there’s some enjoyable anarchy and swift pacing to this ridiculous picture.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is listed as a "new master from a 2K scan of the interpositive." Detail is acceptable under these conditions, and while some softness remains during the viewing experience, the more textured parts of the "Little Nicky" world come through. Skin particulars on humans and demons are appreciable, along with makeup additions. Tours of Hell are acceptably dimensional, and New York City activity is decent, providing adequate distances. Colors are capable, with bold primaries preserved with costuming choices, and the red and fiery highlights of the underworld remain compelling. Colder NYC street activity is also strong. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is satisfactorily managed. Some very mild banding is detected.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA has the advantage of working with a sonically chaotic movie, as "Little Nicky" is always on the go, visiting all sorts of realms. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, preserving somewhat strange acting choices, especially from Adam Sandler, who's muttering oddness is never lost. Scoring supports with decent instrumentation, and soundtrack selections offer a slightly harder hit, contributing to some low-end activity. Surrounds are active, doing well with atmospherics and moving sound effects, also pushing out musical moods.
Not everything has aged well in "Little Nicky," including the nu metal soundtrack, with the picture crying out for a more classic metal sound. The feature's descent into mayhem in the Central Park finale is also a bit tedious, though it does feature perhaps the most appropriate punchline cameo imaginable, giving the movie a nice lift when it needs it the most. There are trips to Hell and Heaven (Reese Witherspoon portrays a sorority sister-like angel), and the cast is stuffed with Sandler Players and cameos from the SandlerVerse, keeping the whole thing familiar while the production attempts to try something edgier with the premise and visuals. "Little Nicky" looks to push Sandler into blockbuster territory, but his type of humor doesn't work with highly technical and expensive endeavors, and his special silliness gets a little lost in all the commotion. It's still a very entertaining dose of puerile nonsense, and an interesting chapter in Sandler's once lively career.
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