Bedtime Stories (2008/Disney Blu-ray w/DVD)

 

Picture: B/C+     Sound: B/C+     Extras: D     Film: D

 

 

Adam Sandler’s reign of cinematic terror continues with Adam Shankman’s shockingly bad Bedtime Stories (2008); a horrendous piece of schlock about a character played by Sandler that acts like Sandler and is like every character Sandler has ever played before.  This time, he tells stories to his sister’s kids, they come to life.  The sister is played by Courtney Cox of the evil hit TV sitcom Friends and this is just as phony as any season or episode of that show.

 

Unfortunately, no original ideas, entertainment or anything worth seeing in this very, very, very long 99 minutes exercise in trying to make Sandler a child-safe box office star after so many films that were not even human safe is condescending and as I watched, desperate was the word that kept crossing my mind.  The film also manages to waste the better talents of Guy Pierce, Johnathan Pryce and Keri Russell among others who should be leads and not supporting such idiocy, but hey, a paycheck is a paycheck and no one can say they did not do crassly commercial films.

 

All I can say is, wow, is this bad!!!  Skip it!

 

 

The 1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image on the Blu-ray is not great, richer than the weak anamorphically enhanced DVD include in the case and shot like a bad sitcom.  The DTS HD Master Audio (MA) 48/24 lossless 5.1 mix is dialogue and would-be joke based, but has a limited soundfield and the recording is far from ambitious.  The Dolby Digital on both formats is weaker still.  The combination reminds one of a bad TV movie in HD.  Extras include a behind the scenes featurette on one of the creatures, one on the visual effects, bloopers and deleted scenes which look very similar to the whole mess here.  Another dud for Sandler.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo