Z/Web

I really enjoyed this. Yes, it’s formulaic and somewhat predictable, but in a good way. It’s a feel-good family film, safe for the kids, and will appeal to both adults and the young. The concept is terrific: good-loser-guy has to babysit his niece and nephew and discovers that the bedtime stories he tells them come true the next day, so he starts to try and manipulate the stories to help himself in real life, with comic results. Of course it all works out great in the end. The acting’s over-the-top, the bedtime stories childish (which fits with his kid-like character), but like most of Adam Sandler’s films, the movie has a gentle heart and a good soul that shines through in the happy ending. Fun.

Strange old Tom Arnold film that I suspect might have a cult following. It’s about a family of idiots who completely misinterpret reality and get into all sorts of crazy adventures involved in stopping an arms dealer plot. Many parts of this are pure genius, as Tom’s character is like Inspector Clouseaux in his ability to inadvertently stop the bad guys, but the film’s too uneven and strange for most people, I suspect. The best part for me was the hilarious song, “I’m My Own Grandpaw,” which Tom sings when he accidentally ends up as a guest on a daytime talk show. It’s a catchy tune with funny lyrics and he gets the entire stage audience to sing along with him! Worth catching if you’re in the right mood.