It really baffles me when people who claim to be Adam Sandler fans, give poor reviews of his movies, claiming to be 'disappointed'. What were you expecting from an Adam Sandler Halloween flick? A coming-of-age comedy drama? A complex character study?
I give this a 7/10 because I judged it exactly how it should be judged. If all Adam Sandler's comedy movies were judged on whether or not they compare to the truly great films of our time, then 90% of them would score 1/10. At a push. But films shouldn't be judged that way - they should be judged on whether or not they achieved what they were trying to achieve.
This brings me onto comedy movies - and I mean comedy movies. Not 'dramedies' or other genuinely serious, dramatic films with some small comedic elements - but 100%, straight down the line, out-and-out comedy movies. These types of films shouldn't be judged in the same way we judge dramatic cinema.
The brand of comedy Adam Sandler uses most of the time, is 'slapstick comedy'. It's not to everyone's taste, nor is it the most nuanced form of comedy - but it undoubtedly has it's place in cinema and TV, and it's served Mr Sandler well. Very well, in fact. Disappointed 'fans' of his who are giving this film poor reviews probably aren't, in fact, fans at all.
This brings me onto 'Hubie Halloween'. A textbook Adam Sandler slapstick comedy flick, that follows a middle-aged man as he's subjected to mockery and bullying by the locals in his town, as a result of his nerdy appearance, and his obsession with health and safety - particularly when Halloween comes around. This year however, mystery ensues as Herbie investigates a number of sinister events that take place on the night of October 31st.
Of all the comedy films in Adam Sandler's back catalogue, Hubie Halloween probably borrows more from 'Murder Mystery' than any other. If 'Murder Mystery' was a spoofy, slapstick take on the classic, Agatha Christie-esque 'whodunnit' genre, then 'Hubie Halloween' is very much a light hearted spoof of the 'comedy horror' style that was famously re-popularised by the 'Scary Movie' franchise - the difference being that any spoofing in 'Hubie Halloween' is of the films of Adam Sandler himself. One of the many Easter Eggs coming in the opening scene of the film - which, without spoiling it, will be sure to please fans of Happy Gilmore!
This isn't one of Sandler's best comedy films, but it certainly isn't one of his worst either. Whilst Hubie Halloween won't have you 'belly-laughing' from beginning to end, there is enough solid material throughout to keep audiences amused. It's a fun, lighthearted piece of cinema that has exactly what it's supposed to have - jokes, slapstick comedy, silliness, wackiness, lightheartedness, and a plot that is interesting and captivating enough to keep us - the audience - interested.
On this basis, I give Hubie Halloween a solid 7/10. It's silly, and it knows its silly. It's wacky, and it knows it's wacky. It achieves exactly what it's trying to achieve, and that's good enough for me. Bravo!
