Eight Crazy Nights (Wide Screen) > Reviews > Put on Your Yamacah! Seventy-six Crazy Minutes!

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Indifferent to it
Story	Satisfactory
Characters / Performances	Satisfactory
Special Effects	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Satisfactory

Advantages:	Funny for Sandler Fans, Terrific Animation
Disadvantages:	Quite crude .  .  .  . Sandler may have gone too far with what could have been a sweet holiday favorite .  .  .  .

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

<<<<<TITLE: ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS>>>>>
<<<<<RATING: *** (out of 5)>>>>>
<<<<<CAST: Voices of Adam Sandler, Rob Schnieder, Allan Covert, Jackie Titote, Austin Stout, Kevin Nealon, Norm Crosby, Jon Lovitz, Tyra Banks, Peter Danter, Cole & Dylan Sprouse, Carl Weathers, Laine Kazan.>>>>>
<<<<<DIRECTOR: Seth Kearsley>>>>>
<<<<<YEAR OF RELEASE: 2002>>>>>
<<<<<STUDIO: Columbia Pictures>>>>>
<<<<<RATED: 12A (UK), PG-13 (US)>>>>>
<<<<<RUNNING TIME: 76 minutes>>>>>

<<<<<<INTRODUCTION>>>>>>

This movie was released over the holidays but surprisingly noone has wrote an op on it until now. I think I have a very good suspician to that too...the movie didn't do so well, even with fans of Adam Sandler, and I think it made a lot of people ask, "Who is this movie really for???" I asked that question myself, as the film was way too crude for kids (though kids would still like it if they watched it), and the film seemed too immature for adults. Plus, ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS is, on the whole, a rather strange edition to the canon of holiday films, much like Arnold Schwarzennegger when he made JINGLE ALL THE WAY, which was made many years ago and didn't cause much of a reaction. Some people thought this movie was terrible, but I beg to differ. It had a lot of problems, but it really isn't that bad.

Sandler seems to have come into his own as a movie star with a great appeal on the screen, ever since he first appeared on Saturday Night Live years ago. Many people don't understand when I say I did not like BILLY MADISON, even though I was locked in as a fan by the time with this comedy albums, where he sung such classic songs as "Lunchlady Land" and "Piece of Shit Car." Then he made HAPPY GILMORE, which I thought was perfectly suited to his famaliar character which by now he could play in his sleep. Then he starred in a set of hit-and-miss comedies including LITTLE NICKY (which I loved), and MR. DEEDS (which I didn't like). Then he made a bold, Jim Carrey-like move when he gave his first dramatic performance in the wonderful, vastly underrated PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. It was about this time that I saw this trailers for his holiday animated fable and I just asked myself, "Sandler is doing animation now?????" Whether it was a bold, daring move on the part of the 35-year-old comedian should be left to his fans, but I have to say I was quite disappointed with it.

<<<<<<REVIEW>>>>>>

Sandler voices the primary character in the film, a 33-year-old crazy jewish bastard by the name of Davey Stone, who is a crude humbug when it comes to the Hannukkah season with its yuletide and cute reindeer. We meet his rather unlikeable character when he is destined to make the largest burp in a restaurant....cracking some of other peoples' glasses in the process. He then is about to drink and drive, but before he can is caught by the police....then he proceeds (as a joke, of course) to hump his own car, saying stuff like, "Oh, baby you like it when I hold you like that??? Because I'll do it all night long!!!!" He then starts spanking the car, and lol, I have to say even though I was laughing at it for being typical Sandler, it just seems so out of place in what is supposed to be a delightful holiday movie. In other words, why did it have to be in such bad taste??? Then it jumps starts into becoming a musical, which seems only to take a toll for the worse than the better.

Then again, being a particular fan of Sandler's music, there are some good songs in this movie, but they are mostly bumpered by crude antics and dispacable supporting characters. The hook of the movie is when the county judge is ready to put Davey in prison for 10 years for his recent shanigans, resulting in the Hannakkah ice statues to come crashing down to spectators by. He is saved at the last minute by a pint-sized, nice 70-year-old guy by the name of Whitey, who works as the town's basketball coach and takes Stone under his wing as his partner as a last chance for redemption.

From there is becomes very predictable, even if you are not a fan of Sandler. This is the only thing that annoys me about ol' Adam....does HE EVER CHANGE HIS CHARACTER??? In most of his films he plays an immature loser who turns out to be a nice guy and is redeemed by the end. You know that Whitey is going to help him realize the joy of the holiday season and the importance of helping others, a la Christmas Carol with a lot of raunchy jokes thrown in. Some of the them funny, but as I said before, I don't think it's the right movie for them. Now, I did love the character of Whitey, who debuted on Sandler's fourth comedy album a few years ago. What annoyed me, as I'm sure it may offend some people, is that Whitey is constantly being joked and ridiculed for a lot of unnecessary reasons....in other words, jokes made at the expense of the handicapped, and not to mention, different religiions. After a awhile, I just got tired of the scatological humor overall.

What is the best thing about this film? Believe it or not, but it's really the animation. As soon as the opening titles, and we are sent to Any Town USA, it becomes quite colorful and impressive. If you remember the opening sequence of LADY AND THE TRAMP, it looks just as wonderful, with considerably great detail given to the snowy scenes and the reindeer in particular. As a result, the wonderful animation made me forget about the sick shaninagans that were going on. Of course, these two elements crossed in one scene which overall left a bad taste in my mouth: Davey pushes Whitey into a porta-a-poddy, which he then pushes down a snowy hill...and Whitey comes out covered in human feces. However, then it comes around to being cute again after Stone sprays him with water and Whitey freezes inside....and all those lovely reindeer help him out my licking this "poopsickle" until he is let out. The animation is at its best in the mall scenes, however, which give extraordinarty attention to the different and familiar shops like Foot Locker and Victoria's Secret.

I found the ensemble of voices to be disppointing as well, even though the movie is adequately narrated by Rob Schneider (THE HOT CHICK), and features many friends from other films of Happy Madison productions. Sandler himself voices Davey, Whitey, Elenoar (Whitey's sister), and the reindeer. The songs were actually much better than the voicework, with great songs like "I Hate the Holidays, " "That Is a Technical Foul," and of course, "The Chanukah song Part 3" which is played at the end of the movie over the end credits. As expected, the crude humor does extend to the songs, but for some reason I didn't mind it as much.

STONE: "If I wake up with my morning erection................."
WHITEY: "Then it will be an automatic eviction...Because that is a technical foul!!!!"
ELENOAR: "But I'd like to see it anyway!!!"

<<<<<<Funny stuff, yes, but not funny enough to make the film watchable to the average audience. >>>>>>

<<<<<<<<<FINAL THOUGHTS>>>>>>>>>

This is Sandler's most unusual film. He has fared much better with his collaborations with director Peter Segal, with ANGER MANAGEMENT and the upcoming 50 FIRST DATES with Drew Barrymore. No doubt, this will be the only animated film he ever makes, and it's no doubt for the better. So, who is this movie really for?? I'd have to say for die-hard Sandler fans and animation fans, because the film is most certainly not for kids, and adults will probably find it too crude and amateurish. However, I will provide some of the funnier quotes so you all can make your own decision.....

Quote One: Noticing Jon Lovitz' character has a hook in a place of a hand.....Stone says, "I wonder if that guy ever wiped his ass with the wrong hand!!!!"

Quote Two: Yelling at the Town Mayer in the Mall....."Have a good day sir, and to answer your question, yes, Spencer's has a wide selection of furry underwear!!!"

Quote Three: Looking at the lead female character's bum, Davey says, "Her backyard isn't sugar-free, that baby looks sweet." Then Whitey says, "Technical Foul!!! Technical Foul!!!" (damn right it was a technical foul...lol) "That is a lady!!! And you will not speak about her that way!!!"

<<<<<<<<<<<<<DVD Details>>>>>>>>>>>

The DVD has a nice little selection of extras, which I will list right here.

I. A music video version of "The Chanukah Song Part 3" with Rob Schineder and Sandler, singing with a choir of young boys and girls....inappropraite or not, it sounded lovely.

II. Audio Commentary with Allan Covert, Adam's buddy, and Whitey and Elenoar. A one-joke idea that wears thin quickly....I only listened to five minutes of it.

III. Audio Commentary with director Kearsley (a newbie) and many others involved with the technical aspect of the film, most notanbly the animation. This commentary is much more informative and interesting....half of the film was animated in the US, and the other half in countries all over the world.

IV. Selection of Deleted Scenes, includling expansions of many of the songs. You can also opt for a commentary on these with the director and crew.

V. Short Film, "A Day With the Meatball" and a "NBA: Love it Live" TV spot....both unnecessary for the DVD.

VI. Nine Original Featurrettes, which again would have been better if they were all strung together as one documentary about the making of the film.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<TRIVIA>>>>>>>>>>>>

I. Original title was WHITEY & DAVEY, though it was deemed too politically correct.

II. Whitey's character previously appeared in LITTLE NICKY and Adam Sandler's 4th album, "Stan & Judy's Kid."

III. Many members of Sandler's family (who are all Jewish and celebrate Hannakkah) give their own voices to Stone's parents and other characters.

<<<<<Don't say you weren't warned, but the film is allowed a chance to see what you all think. Enjoy and Happy Hannukkah!!!!! Chris xxxx>>>>>