Although it has a disgraceful reputation, Adam Sandleris the Christmas film Eight crazy nights isn’t nearly as bad as critics claim. In 2002, it really seemed like Adam Sandler could do no wrong. After a successful star-making run, continue Saturday Night LiveSandler starred in a number of successful ’90s comedies that propelled him onto Hollywood’s A-list. Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The WaterboyAnd Big daddy were all big hits during the 1998s The wedding singer proved that Sandler can pull off a sweet romantic comedy. This era featured some of Sandler’s best characters and made his box office gold.

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However, the failure is the 2000s Little Nicky should have been a sign for Sandler. With this ambitious, strange fantasy comedy, Sandler brought his brand of lowbrow comedy to a risky new genre, and the resulting mashup was hated by critics and ignored by moviegoers. It didn’t help that the titular underdog was one of Sandler’s worst characters, but the actor would soon experience another flop that further tarnished his star credentials. Animated Christmas musical from 2002 Eight crazy nights was a huge failure for Sandler, although the film isn’t as bad as its reputation suggests.

“Eight Crazy Nights” is a step backwards in several ways

Adam Sandler’s animated flop combines early 2000s comedy with ’90s animation

With a Rotten tomatoes critical rating of only 13%, It’s fair to call Eight crazy nights one of Sandler’s biggest failures. With a budget of $34 million Eight crazy nights The film only grossed $23 million upon release and few reviewers found anything to like about the animated adult comedy. However, it is worth noting that this is the case Eight crazy nights has a much stronger one Rotten tomatoes Audience rating of 50%. Although undeniably imperfect, Eight crazy nights actually embodies the fading light of some memorable cinematic eras.

Featuring the story of an unrepentant, immature criminal who is sent to live with an elderly do-gooder, Eight crazy nights takes several subversive twists on holiday classics like It’s a wonderful life. The film is a comprehensive parody of classic TV specials such as Rankin/Bass and A Charlie Brown ChristmasBut Eight crazy nights is simultaneously a throwback to an era of serious, cheerfully tasteless comedies that can feel strange, dark, offensive and, at times, quite effective. Essentially a Don Bluth film crossed with an episode of Donkey, Eight crazy nights has a unique, quintessentially early 00s charm.

“Eight Crazy Nights” has a sweet moral underneath the dirty comedy

Sandler’s vacation movie isn’t as dark as it seems

Like most of Sandler’s films Eight crazy nights follows an initially unsympathetic protagonist with whom the audience becomes friends over time as the anti-hero learns to take responsibility. However, where Sandler’s worse films cynically use this format as an excuse for toilet humor and schmaltzy sentimentality is in the sheer nastiness of Eight crazy nights is surprisingly refreshing. The deliberately harsh comedy ultimately reveals a sweet moral core at the center of its narrative, underscoring the importance of community, growth and emotional connection. The long journey to this sweetness only makes it more effective.

Sandler’s Davey Stone is nastier and meaner than most of his live-action characters, but he also has a truly moving backstory that justifies his anger at the world. Meanwhile, his older mentor Whitey is constantly mistreated by a hateful small town that sees him as a doormat and joker. But it is precisely this remarkable evilness of Sandler’s animated film that defines it Eight crazy nights A holiday classic whose happy ending feels entirely deserved after all the brutality the main characters had to endure.

“Eight Crazy Nights” was an ambitious swing that deserves respect

Sandler’s thrillingly dark, strange holiday film has generated quite a bit of buzz

Adam Sandler’s animated holiday film was a financial and critical failure, and it’s not hard to see why. Where most of the adult animation comes from South Park To Fritz the cattends to have a rough, angular visual style, Eight crazy nights looks like a children’s film but feels like a prequel Bad Santa Claus in terms of its dark tone and dark sense of humor. The film never quite gets its own style, which makes its mostly negative reviews understandable. That said, it’s still commendable that Sandler is attempting an animated epic at the peak of his career as a comedy star.

Watch the movie again now Eight crazy nights is a time capsule back to a certain cynical brand of ’00s humor that has lost much of its cultural appeal, and the lush traditional 2D animation that died out before the end of the decade. It may not be Adam Sandler’s best animated film, but Eight crazy nights is a fun reminder that the star isn’t as predictable as his critics claimed. Despite all its shortcomings, Eight crazy nights is every bit as strange, uneven and oddly charming as the promise of one Adam Sandler animated holiday special sounds.

Source: Rotten tomatoes

Eight crazy nights

Release date

November 27, 2002

Duration

76 minutes

Pour

Adam Sandler, Jackie Sandler, Austin Stout, Kevin Nealon, Rob Schneider, Norm Crosby

director

Seth Kearsley