Plot: What’s it about?
After ten thousand years of rule, Satan (Harvey Keitel) has decided to announce who will take over his throne. His three sons are the options, from the sadistic Adrian (Rhys Ifans) to musclebound Cassius (Tiny Lister) to Nicky (Adam Sandler), the runt of this litter. Thanks to a shovel to the face, Nicky has a serious facial distortion and speech impediment, which his brothers love to mock him about. As Satan calls the three to his throne for the word on the next ruler, he informs Cassius and Adrian that they lack the balance of good and evil, so they are unfit to rule his kingdom. He opts to remain on his throne, which sends Cassius and Adrian on a spell, in which they escape from Hell and cross over into the realm of the living. Unless Nicky can defeat his brothers, stuff them into a small flask, and return to Hell soon, Satan will perish, thanks to the stoppage of new souls caused by Nicky’s brothers. But Nicky is no force of evil by any means, so he will need all the help and guidance he can locate. That help comes in the form of a talking bulldog, a struggling actor, two heavy metal headbangers, and a beautiful woman, Valerie (Patricia Arquette). But can Nicky vanquish his brothers, since he is weaker and less intelligent? Perhaps he has a special something deep down inside, or does he?
After a string of box office smashes, Adam Sandler starred in Little Nicky, which brought his success streak to a grinding halt. And why that is, I will never know, as Sandler supplies all the usual elements his viewers want, plus some nods to previous efforts. So the low brow humor is present, the frequent cameos are checked in, and Sandler is as good as ever, but the masses flocked away from this one at theaters. Perhaps the satanic persona of the film scared folks off, as I can’t imagine Sandler fans not loving this flick, it harkens back to the flicks of utter chaos, like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. I suppose some viewers might have wanted the more sensitive Sandler, ala Big Daddy, but instead we’re given an off the wall and very fun ride, one of the funniest flicks from 2000, at least in my opinion. But then again, I like Sandler movies, satanic elements, and heavy metal rockers, so maybe I am the perfect audience for Little Nicky, but who knows. In any event, I think this film will find new life on home video, as those who passed before discover what they’ve missed. I highly recommend this movie and thanks to a blockbuster disc from New Line, a purchase is the method of choice, as far as this reviewer is concerned.
His movies often create a rift within audiences, but I’ve always liked the cinema of Adam Sandler, if only as pure escapism. I know Sandler sucks as an actor and his films feature strange, often ludicrous moments, but I like that in a movie sometimes. Unlike those film snobs out there, I can go from The Seventh Seal to an Adam Sandler flick, as I like to sometimes switch my brain off and laugh until my sides ache. Sandler’s performance here is offbeat and often miserable, but he supplies what we wanted from him, tons of low brow humor and stupid jokes. His corny speech impediment, strange facial expression, and hunchbacked demeanor serve to add to his persona, as well as offer some potential for cheap laughs. I don’t think Little Nicky is Sandler’s funniest effort, but it is very close and fans of his should be pleased. Other films with Sandler include Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer, and Billy Madison. The cast here also includes Harvey Keitel (The Piano), Rhys Ifans (The Replacements), Tiny Lister (No Holds Barred), Reese Witherspoon (Freeway), Rodney Dangerfield (Back to School), Patricia Arquette (Stigmata), and of course, Allen Covert, Peter Dante, and Jonathan Loughran.
Video: How does it look?
Little Nicky is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As usual from New Line, this is a reference level image and I could find no problems in the least. The source print is pristine and shows no grain, which means the visuals come across in sharp and ever impressive form. The colors stream across the screen in vivid hues and no signs of flaws, while flesh tones seem natural and consistent also. No issues in terms of contrast either, as black levels are razor sharp and no visible detail loss is evident. The transfer is also free from compression errors, which leaves me to score this one with the highest possible numbers. We’ve seen a lot of reference level visual presentation from New Line, but I am always impressed with each new release from them.
Audio: How does it sound?
A lot of devilish sound effects and a heavy metal driven soundtrack ensure the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track can kick and of course, it delivers the goods and then some. This is not as powerful a mix as more action driven fare, but it still packs a punch and more than gives the surrounds some exercise. The metal powered soundtrack is well presented, in rich form and it really immerses you, as it should. There’s also a lot of presence from the sound effects, from subtle touches to more intense moments. The vocals are sharp also, no problems in terms of clarity or volume could be detected here. I do wish this track had a little more power at times, but it still offers a more than potent experience, so no real complaints. This disc also includes a 2.0 surround track, as well as English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As it has been given the Platinum Series treatment, Little Nicky is loaded with supplements, very cool ones in fact. The disc starts with not one, but two audio commentary tracks and since both offer much different perspectives, I was taken by them both. The first track features director Steven Brill, cowriter Tim Herlihy, and of course, Adam Sandler and is fun, but also includes some production tidbits to round out the discussion. I was as amused by Sandler’s antics here, but the track is still humorous and informative, well worth a listen indeed. The second track is a cast commentary, which features a wealth of stars and is hosted by Michael McKean. Although the comments weren’t recorded at the same time, it is simple to follow the course and I was very pleased with this track in the end. Some of those present include Ozzy Osbourne, Kevin Nealon, Blake Clark, Henry Winkler, Rhys Ifans, Tiny Lister, and others. Up next is a pair of featurettes, both of which are fun to watch and make excellent inclusions here.
The first piece is Adam Sandler Goes To Hell: The Making of Little Nicky, which runs about twenty minutes and is a promotional tool, but still offers some good insight, via interviews. This piece covers the cast and their thoughts on the flick, the production design, the costumes, and the special effects, very cool indeed. Next is Satan’s Top 40, an in depth look at heavy metal music and the fans and musicians involved. This piece is not specific to the production, but is a welcome inclusion, since the movie has a metal soundtrack and deals with fans of the music genre. All sorts of musicians from Ronny James Dio to Gene Simmons appear, another fun piece that adds to the value of this disc, to be sure.
This disc also houses a selection of deleted scenes, which include an alternate ending and some extensions of scenes found in the picture. A total of twenty-one deleted sequences have been stuff in here, which means a lot of material can be seen, some of which is very humorous or more graphic than seen in the final versions. I was glad to find all of these here, as even the extended scenes were filled with gags and visuals that were hacked, not all of these are throwaways, although some of course are. Rounding the disc are some talent files, DVD ROM content, a music video for P.O.D.’s School of Hard Knocks, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
