LITTLE NICKY
2 ½ stars
ADAM Sandler’s latest makes me feel like one of those cartoon characters with an angel and a devil perched on each shoulder, whispering in each ear.
Angel: Yuck. This is a really dumb and crude movie that speaks to the lowest common denominator.
Devil: So what? “Little Nicky” speaks to your inner 12-year-old – and it made him laugh a lot.
Angel: So you laughed at what? The devil (Harvey Keitel) doing unspeakable things to Hitler with a pineapple?
Devil: That rocked! And so did the talking dog!
Angel: You seriously want to recommend a movie with a potty-mouthed talking dog named Mr. Beefy?
Devil: Hey, he was the best thing in the movie.
Angel: Which proves what? That Adam Sandler as Nicky, the devil’s nerdy, speech-impaired son – sent to earth to save his father – is less compelling than the talking dog who helps him?
Devil: Compelling? What are we talking about, “Faust” or an Adam Sandler teen comedy? It was rather generous of Adam (and his co-screenwriters) to give all the best lines to the dog – and to Rodney Dangerfield, who plays his grandfather.
Angel: He certainly didn’t give any good lines to Rhys Ifans or Tommy “Tiny” Lister Jr., who play his evil brothers, who conspire to take over their father’s throne by taking up residence in New York City.
Devil: Who cares? There are some awesome special effects, like Adam turning into a horde of insects.
Angel: Talk about dubious technical achievements.
Devil: Between the depiction of a pre-Giuliani New York and the guest appearances by Henry Winkler, Regis Philbin and especially Ozzy Osbourne, it reminded me a lot of “Ghostbusters.”
Angel: It seemed to me it was more like a reverse-rip-off of that famous Jack Benny flop, “The Horn Blows at Midnight,” in which he played an angel sent to New York to destroy the world, then he meets two fallen angels.
Devil: Speaking of angels, wasn’t Reese Witherspoon terrific as Nicky’s mom, who meets the devil at a heaven-hell mixer?
Angel: If only. She was doing a takeoff of Alicia Silverstone in “Clueless.” But she did have more of a role than Patricia Arquette, as Nicky’s putative love interest.
Devil: Patricia was pretty lame, and what was the point of dressing a babe like her as unattractively as Adam? Jeez, Adam had more chemistry with Allen Covert, who played his Judy Garland-loving actor roommate.
Angel: The stereotypical gay character, you mean.
Devil: So he was funny, shoot me! You’re so P.C.! Didn’t you like anything?
Angel: I certainly didn’t like the devil’s aide with mammary glands on the top of his head. This is supposed to be a PG-13 movie!
Devil: Lighten up. You would have raved about it if it was in a movie directed by Robert Altman, instead of Steven Brill.
Angel: I will give you one thing. It’s funnier than “Bedazzled,” which isn’t saying much.
Devil: I thought Liz Hurley made a much more heavenly devil than Harvey Keitel.
Angel: To hell with you.
Devil: Same to you, buddy.
BYLINE: Lou
Lumenick
BOXLITTLE NICKY
HH12
Devil’s food for Adam Sandler fans – crude but funny special-effects extravaganza about Satan’s son on an earthly mission.
Running time: 90 minutes. Rated PG-13 (profanity, crude sexual humor, dogs fornicating). At the E-Walk, Kips Bay, Union Square, others.