Adam Sandler just keeps making movies...
I would say that the jury is still out on their quality, but that would be disingenuous. We all know that even when they were good, and still had something of an edge, they weren't really THAT good. Basically Sandler has been peddling in poopoo peepee humor since his days as a cast member on SNL. Even his comedy albums from that era were that same kind of sophomoric humor. All of that being said, Sandler's early work is now considered classic. Which isn't exactly a bad thing as it took that sophomoric sensibility and made it feel fresh, one could even argue that it had some teeth back then.
How does this most recent outing stand up to the standard of the more early Sandler work? Not so great. A movie like Billy Madison or Happy Gilmore, even after the hundredth viewing, still forces you to pause the movie for a moment because you are laughing so hard you don't want to miss the next punchline. Hubie will have you rolling your eyes more than busting your gut. Sure there are moments to laugh out loud at, but this feels a bit like Sandler is either phoning it in for that Netflix check, or desperately attempting to remember what it was like to be that fresh comedic voice. There are shades of Waterboy and the aforementioned Happy Gilmore throughout, but nothing here ever quite sticks the landing even half as well as either of those movies.
I will say this about Hubie Halloween, it does seem to be something of a turn for Sandler's modern efforts. It has felt like all the comedy he has put out since the Longest Yard has just slowly become more and more half hearted. There seems to be at least a little bit of actual heart here. If that feeling is the metaphorical heart in its death throws, or a jolt of new life, very much remains to be seen. But it does bring hope for what Sandler will bring us in the future.
Grade: C
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