"daddy" falls flat on most cylinders - Big Daddy Reviews

Adam Sandler's films got progressively less clever after his peak in "Happy Gilmore." There came "The Waterboy," which had enough funny moments to distract from its stupid plot. However, the problem with "Big Daddy" is that it is not funny, and when an Adam Sandler movie cannot make you laugh it loses reason for existence. Sandler's character is a Syracuse Law Gradaute who sleeps most days and works once a week at a toll booth. Am I supposed to believe that? I actually think the waterboy with a knack for knocking down people is a more plausible character. And this guy who passed Syracuse Law covers wet bedsheets and milk spills with newspapers? Being a college student myself, I would expect even the most unsanitary of my classmates to use paper towels in these situations! I'd scream defamation if I was a Syracuse Law grad. Actually, I don't think I'll even apply to Syracuse Law for Law School after watching this movie. The kid Sandler's character takes care of offers his own problems. The whole "adoption" process is unrealistic. How does the adoption bureau not ask Sandler for ID when he presents himself as his buddy (John Stewart, who emerged as a comedy star in his own right since then, a star of intellectual comedy)? Besides, Sandler is an awful father to the kid: they urinate in public, throw sticks in front of skaters and go to bars. Unfortunately there are really parents who raise their kids this way in the U.S., but I doubt any of them have J.D.'s. If Sandler won possession over the kid, the kid would probably grow up to smash his Chevy into your car while driving under the influence. In addition, Sandler's romantic subplot is awful, so are all the Hooters references. Sandler's gay-couple friends are totally out of sync too. "Big Daddy" does not flunk due to a few good moments. There's the episode where Sandler rushes to McDonald's in the morning only to find out that McDonald's breakfast now ends at 10.30am and not 11. A wonderful way for somebody in Hollywood to express his unhappiness with the new McDonald's hours. The music in the film is also pretty good with 70's grooves like "Fooled Around And Fell In Love" by Elvin Bishop, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman and "Babe" by Styx. The musical highlight comes when the mariachi sings Styx's "The Best Of Times" while Sandler and his girl are dancing. Overall though, this is a disappointing movie with too few good moments.