Rating: PG
Starring:
Adam Sandler as Skeeter Bronson
Keri Russell as Jill
Guy Pearce as Kendall
Russell Brand as Mickey
Richard Griffiths as Barry Nottingham
Teresa Palmer as Violet Nottingham
Lucy Lawless as Aspen
Courteney Cox as Wendy
Jonathan Morgan Heit as Patrick
Laura Ann Kesling as Bobbi
Jonathan Pryce as Marty Bronson
Nick Swardson as Engineer
Kathryn Joosten as Mrs. Dixon
Allen Covert as Ferrari Guy
Carmen Electra as Hot Girl
Special Features:
Hilarious Bloopers And Deleted Scenes
Get To Know Bugsy The Big-Eyed Guinea Pig
A Behind-The Scenes Look At The Special Effects
Dylan And Cole Sprouse (Disney Channel’s “Suite Life”) Present The Benefits Of Blu-ray(TM)
DisneyFile Digital Copy
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.35:1)
5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Languages
Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 99 Minutes
The Movie:
The following is the official description of the film:
“Funnyman Adam Sandler stars in Walt Disney Pictures’ ‘Bedtime Stories,’ the magical family comedy that’s packed with adventure and lots of heart. When Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) babysits his sister’s (Courteney Cox) children, his imagination runs wild as he dreams up elaborate bedtime stories — always casting himself as the hero. Entranced, the children add their own ideas to these once-upon-a-time tales of heroics and chivalry. Then… magic happens. These nighttime fantasies become Skeeter’s daytime realities, leading him on a real-life adventure in search of his own happy ending. Filled with colorful characters, humor and whimsy, this heartwarming comedy will enchant your entire family again and again.”
“Bedtime Stories” is rated PG for some mild rude humor and mild language.
Mini-Review:
“Bedtime Stories” has a solid premise. The idea is that the crazy stories that some kids make up at bedtime come true. It has a lot of potential and this film takes advantage of a lot of it. But the movie has a really strange weakness and strength – the casting. Make no mistake about it, “Bedtime Stories” has a strong cast. Guy Pearce, Courtney Cox, Keri Russell, Jonathan Pryce, and Lucy Lawless are all a lot of fun and hold their own in this comedy. It’s just a little weird to see more formerly raunchy comedians invading Disney and family films. It started with Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, and Steve Martin. Jack Black is in the process of building up a pre-teen following, too. Now the career strategy is being continued by Adam Sandler and his Happy Madison crew and they’re taking Russell Brand along for the ride. (Dwayne Johnson has done something similar, but I think his transition was a bit smoother.) It’s just a little weird seeing Adam Sandler dial back the sex and bodily function jokes and try to entertain kids. The results are somewhat mixed. Yeah, he’s funny in a few scenes but it’s more because of the situation he’s in rather than anything about his performance. Russell Brand comes across a lot funnier because you can tell he’s ad-libbing a fair amount. (He must have some sort of deal with Disney. Maybe those “Pirates of the Caribbean” rumors are true.) But it’s hard to forget him in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” as well as some of his past stunts the day after 9/11. I never would have guessed he’d end up in Disney films.
Casting oddities aside, it’s an OK film. While I wouldn’t want to watch it more than once, it’s still fun to watch with the kids that one time. The scenes where it shows the elaborate stories are the highlights. We’re treated to a Medieval Castle, an Old West town, Ancient Rome, and a Space Station. These scenes also have some pretty impressive makeup work as we’re treated to a variety of aliens, a mermaid Kerri Russell, and a satyr Russell Brand. Unfortunately, the ending isn’t quite as satisfying as you might hope, but it’s otherwise watchable.
The bonus features on this DVD are fairly minimal. You’ll find a featurette on the kids, the guinea pig Bugsy, and the zero-g battle at the end of the film. You’ll also find a selection of deleted scenes and bloopers. Disney is also offering the regular DVD version in the same package as the Blu-ray version. And oddly enough, they sold the Blu-ray Disc a couple of days before the regular DVD version. It’s strange marketing, but there you have it.
