Special Review

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After the financial success of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore, Adam Sandler became one of Hollywood’s most prominent comedic actors. Even though he wasn’t a hit with critics, audiences lined up to see the latest Sandler comedy. Between 1998 and 1999, Sandler’s movies grossed over $100 million, with Big Daddy making $235 million alone. In 1999, Sandler started his production company, Happy Madison Productions, to produce movies for himself and his SNL friends. The studio’s first film, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, was a hit, making over $92 million against a $17 million budget. For his next project, Sandler wanted to do something more ambitious that retained elements from his earlier comedies. With a budget of around $80-85 million, Sandler hired Steven Brill, who previously helmed 1995’s Heavyweights, to direct. In November 2000, Sandler’s most expensive production at the time, Little Nicky, debuted on theater screens across the globe.

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Rating

Synopsis

After 10,000 years of reigning over Hell, Satan (Harvey Keitel) must choose one of his sons as his successor. There’s the conniving Adrian (Rhys Ifans), the brute Cassius (Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr.), and the meek Nicky (Adam Sandler). When Satan tells them he’ll still rule Hell, Adrian and Cassius are furious and decide to flee to Earth. Unfortunately, their exit freezes the gates of Hell, preventing souls from entering, which causes Satan to start disintegrating. Satan sends Nicky to Earth with a flask that imprisons anyone who drinks from it to bring his brothers back. With help from a talking dog named Mr. Beefy (Robert Smigel), Nicky has to learn to navigate the human world. He meets aspiring actor Todd (Allen Covert), metalheads John (Jonathan Loughran) and Peter (Peter Dante), and designer Valerie (Patricia Arquette). Will Nicky stop his brothers, or is Hell coming to The Big Apple?

 

Review

While Little Nicky was a financial flop when it was released, it’s since gained a cult following and critical reevaluation. Having revisited it after many years, I can see why the film has its fans and continues to find more. In terms of production value, this is one of Sandler’s more ambitious films, with its elaborate sets and makeup effects. It helps that artists like Norman Cabrera, Greg Cannom, and the three heads of the KNB EFX Group were hired. The Hell sets look impressive, almost like you’re seeing a metal album cover come to life. Admittedly, the digital effects haven’t aged well, but you could say that about most movies around this time. Given that this was his second feature, Steven Brill does a decent job as director and shows plenty of promise. While the film is technically impressive, the humor and story could be better.

Admittedly, my least favorite Adam Sandler movies are the ones where he uses an obnoxious voice. While the voice he puts on here can be grating, it’s not as bad as The Waterboy or Billy Madison. As usual, his performance comprises him mugging for the camera and making silly faces with occasional pathos. The supporting cast is more interesting than the lead, especially with names like Harvey Keitel, Rodney Dangerfield, and Patricia Arquette. Rhys Ifans steals the show as the devious Adrian and Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr. does a decent job as Cassius. There are some decent cameos from Henry Winkler, Regis Philbin, Ozzy Osbourne, Reese Witherspoon, and Jon Lovitz. At 90 minutes, parts of the film drag as it tends to get sidetracked, but it gets the job done. Overall, Little Nicky isn’t quite as bad as its reputation, but I wouldn’t call this a misunderstood classic.

 

Buy Little Nicky from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3CdcRLa.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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