Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler may not be known for his family-friendly humour but Bedtime Stories tones down his traditional over-the-top insanity in favour of PG laughs, resulting in a Sandler-style comedy without the sharp edges. Kids will get a kick out of the silly situations, while parents will at least find the watered-down humour to be watchable with their young ones. And while neither demographic will be totally satisfied with the result, there is enough entertainment value for a successful family film night. When hotel handyman Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) is asked to baby-sit his estranged niece (Teresa Palmer) and nephew (Richard Griffiths) for a week while his sister (Courtney Cox) goes on an out of state job interview he struggles to find common ground with his pre-teen charges. Unable to find a suitable bedtime book amongst the children's politically correct collection, Skeeter makes up their bedtime stories, which cast him as the hero in fantastical situations loosely based on his real-life problems. Soon, Skeeter realizes that the stories he tells are coming true in unexpected ways and he begins to try and work them to his advantage. It is unfortunate that the Skeeter Bronson framing narrative is the most interesting and entertaining aspect, with the fantastical bedtime stories little more than Technicolor asides that help move the main story along. The brief storybook moments lack depth and do feel like Sandler is making them up as he's going along, which only serve to distract the audience from being fully immersed. Bedtime Stories is available in the new Disney combo pack, which contains a Blu-Ray disc, as well as a regular DVD and a digital copy for portable devices. However, the discs are light on extras, with the standard blooper reel and deleted scenes accompanied by a quick look at the special effects and a feature on Bugsy the big-eyed guinea pig, who might be the most adorable digitally-enhanced creatures ever created. The Blu-Ray disc is also compatible with the new D-Box motion controller, which, with special D-box equipment, allows viewers to experience motion stimulus in their home theatre. Bedtime Stories is sweet without being saccharine and family-friendly without appealing only to the younger members of the clan. But parents who want real Sandler-induced laughs might want to keep a copy of Billy Madison on hand for after the tykes are in bed.