By Robert Scucci
| Published 33 seconds ago
As I find myself creeping up on the wrong side of 30, I am going through the kind of millennial midlife crisis that actually makes sense in this economy. I am watching a lot of Adam Sandler movies. After Sandler’s legendary 90s run, I drifted toward other things, with Big Daddy being the last entry I paid full attention to until years later. 2000’s Little Nicky felt like the point where Sandler fatigue set in for both critics and audiences, earning roughly $58 million domestically against a reported $85 million budget, and landing an abysmal 22 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Having finally watched Little Nicky with intent rather than letting it play as background noise, I am sad to report that despite its ambition, it is not a particularly great movie. That said, I think it was done dirtier than it deserved. There are genuine laugh out loud moments scattered throughout, and while it lacks consistency, it stands as an overambitious stylistic swing that I am glad exists. Sandler took a real creative risk after absolutely owning the 90s, and that alone earns it some respect.
Sandler In His Emo Phase
Sporting the dreaded early 2000s pizza slice emo haircut masquerading as a devilock, Adam Sandler stars as Little Nicky, the son of Satan (Harvey Keitel). Satan is nearing the end of his 10,000 year reign and needs to name a successor. Unfortunately, his options are limited to three deeply flawed choices. His eldest son Adrian (Rhys Ifans) would immediately let power go to his head, middle child Cassius (Tommy Lister Jr.) is a violent brute, and Nicky is far too kind hearted (and stupid) to rule Hell. Faced with no good options, Satan decides to extend his reign another 10,000 years.
That decision does not sit well with Adrian and Cassius, who escape to the mortal realm with the intent of creating their own Hell where they can rule unchecked. They seal the gateway behind them so no new sinners can arrive, which causes Satan to slowly disintegrate. With no other choice, he sends Nicky to Earth to retrieve his brothers and restore balance before Hell collapses entirely.
Once topside, Nicky, who by all measures is a total idiot, struggles to blend in. He slowly learns how to function like a human with help from his talking bulldog Mr. Beefy (voiced by Robert Smigel) and his new roommate Todd (Allen Covert). He also develops feelings for Valerie (Patricia Arquette), who takes some time to warm up to him, understandably so, given that he is the literal son of Satan trying to pass as a normal guy.
Disjointed, But Has Its Moments
Conceptually, Little Nicky has a lot going for it, but it fumbles the execution by trying to do too much at once. The fish out of water storyline works, and blatant product placement aside, the recurring Popeye’s Chicken thread ends up being a surprisingly reliable source of humor. The gag of Nicky repeatedly dying on Earth and slamming back into Hell face first becomes expected after a few rounds, yet somehow never fully wears out its welcome. The Hell sequences lean heavily on CGI, but they hold up reasonably well for a 2000 release.
My biggest issue with Little Nicky is that the whole never comes close to matching the promise of its individual parts. Each idea works in isolation, but together they feel stitched rather than integrated. The cast is massive, the moving pieces are numerous, and there simply is not enough room for any one element or performer to fully shine.
I still maintain that Little Nicky is nowhere near 22 percent bad, but as a follow up to Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy, the drop off is jarring enough to feel like it should be studied academically. And if you are feeling salty about Quentin Tarantino’s recent press antics, you may enjoy his appearance as a blind deacon who suffers an impressive amount of physical punishment every time he’s seen on screen.
As of this writing, Little Nicky is streaming for free on Pluto.
