Starring:
Adam Sandler as Davey Stone/Whitey Duvall/Eleanore Duvall
Jackie Titone as Jennifer
Austin Stout as Benjamin
Kevin Nealon as The Mayor
Rob Schneider as The Narrator
Tyra Banks
James Barbour
Bobby Edner
Jon Lovitz
Cole Sprouse
Dylan Sprouse
Travis Tedford
Summary:
8 Crazy Nights is sappy, gross, predictable, and boring. Adam Sandler uber-fans and junior high boys will probably get the most entertainment from this movie.
Story:
Davey Stone is the town hoodlum and holiday Scrooge. Rude, violent, and a drunk, he routinely harasses people and destroys property, especially during Christmas and Hanukah. When Davey goes too far and gets arrested, the judge is prepared to throw the book at him. However, an old basketball referee by the name of Whitey intercedes on his behalf. Whitey knew Davey when he was a good kid and is determined to bring the good side out of him again. The judge releases Davey into Whitey’s custody, but if he screws up, he’ll be sent to jail for 10 years.
Davey begins to change his ways and even tries to win the heart of his childhood sweetheart, but it’s only a matter of time until he screws things up yet again. The final straw comes when Davey crushes the hopes of Whitey about getting a community service award. Is it possible for Davey to see the error of his ways and set everything right?
8 Crazy Nights is rated PG-13 for frequent crude and sexual humor, drinking and brief drug references.
What Worked:
This is essentially a typical Adam Sandler film, only animated. It’s like Sandler decided he wanted to do a musical and the only logical way to do that was to make it a cartoon. This also allows him to play multiple characters in the film. If this appeals to you, then 8 Crazy Nights is right up your alley. It’s his variation on the old Scrooge formula. The animation is pretty decent and offers up some odd moments. I must admit that I never thought I’d see a cartoon Bambi pooping, a three-breasted cartoon woman, or other bizarre imagery. Sandler does take full advantage of the cartoon medium.
While most of the musical numbers are forgettable, there was one funny one. A love song in the middle of the film is a cute ballad that suddenly throws bizarre imagery at you unexpectedly. It’s hard to describe, but it was one of the funnier moments in the film.
What Didn’t Work:
This film did nothing for me. Yeah, there were some really funny moments, but they were few and far between. It was not worth sitting through the rest of the film just to see them. The film was generally sappy, predictable, and boring. Throw in some gross-out humor and profanities and you have a Disney cartoon on crack.
Adam Sandler’s main character Davey is not likable at all. He’s rude, violent, insulting, loud, and generally a jerk through 90% of the film. Not only is his final turn from the Dark Side unbelievable, you don’t care about the character at all. You hope to see him thrown in jail. Sandler’s other character of Whitey has an incredibly annoying high-pitched voice. I thought Sandler couldn’t come up with a more annoying voice than that of his Little Nicky character, but I was wrong. The same goes for Eleanore. And was I mistaken or was someone else doing the singing for Adam Sandler’s character?
I guess I’m closed minded, but I’ve always viewed animated movies as either children’s films or drama. I’ve never really viewed it as a teen gross out movie, yet this is what it is. I must admit I was surprised to see Adam Sandler’s cartoon character stumble around drunk, flip off another character, and yell out profanities. Anyone else expecting a kids’ flick may find themselves walking out of the theater with children in tow. Heed the PG-13 warning. And the film has little, if anything, to do with Hanukah.
This film is also filled with shameless corporate promotions. It ventures into the absurd when TWO different songs feature stores in a mall. In fact, one of the songs features the Foot Locker, K-B Toys, and Panda Express company logos singing to Sandler telling him to cry. That was one of the points when I asked myself why I wasn’t walking out of the movie.
With weak songs, a boring plot, and no particular audience in mind, this film is not one to go out of your way to see. Adam Sandler uber-fans and junior high boys will probably get the most entertainment from this movie.
