Histoires enchantées

Skeeter is a guy that worked hard all his life for a hotel his dad used to own. He's got high hopes to gain full control over it some day as that was promised to his father by the new owner. Many years have gone by and he's still in a low position though.

Due to circumstances Skeeter has to take care of his niece and nephew for a short while and the young kids prove to be a bit of a challenge for him, but he manages to do it. They demand a bed time story every night, and he gives it to them. He makes up stories himself, but soon all kind of weird things start happening.

And so on. The film rolls on like any typical Disney film. There's the backing story of a "hero" having to "rescue" some people in distress, there's the villain and the regular injustice. Added to that is the funny implications of what happens when a made up story becomes true. This addition gives this film some good laughs, and all in all it works out well enough, worthy of cinema time but not much more than that.

6 out of 10 gum-ball rain showers

Despite being a much milder and family-friendly flick, Bedtime Stories will not disappoint Adam Sandler fans provided they accept that they have to share him with a much younger audience as well.

Bedtime Stories is a PG-rated comedy about hotel maintenance guy Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler), who babysits his impossibly cute niece Bobbi (Laura Ann Kesling) and nephew Patrick (Jonathan Morgan Heit) for his uptight sister Wendy (Courteney Cox). He shares his duties with Wendy's co-teacher/friend Jill (Keri Russell), taking on the night shift, which is when he discovers that the stories he tells them come true the next day. Skeeter uses his new discovery to his advantage when he decides to create a happier ending for his own life, which is made miserable daily by his hotel nemeses Kendall (Guy Pearce) and Aspen (Lucy Lawless).

Sure, the scenarios are pretty ridiculous sometimes, but indulging in children's fantasies is a longlost pleasure that this famcom creates for his adult audience, while wisely introducing Sandler to his future audiences by appearing in a diluted version of himself. If you're not into warm-and-fuzzies (why fight it?!?), you might find this too saccharine for your moldy taste buds.

Bedtime Stories' script is magnificently written. It has huge character arcs, tent poles, and humor. It can't get better. Only, it feels, at times, it overdoes a little. Overdoes the character arcs, the fiction. It, sometimes, becomes not believable, which is the only complaint I have from the Writer. I can even count the many times it has overdone such moments.

Now, Adam Sandler, has done a remarkable job. He stands tall, gives his best and delivers yet another amazing characrer with a spectacular movie.

Of course, family movies can get way better than this one is, however, it keeps gripping the audience right till the end. Nonetheless, the climax is exceptional too.

I was expecting another tacky platitude, similar to the unwatchable "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium", the unacceptable "Night at the Museum", the sugary "Charlotte's Web", and sundry other brainless and uninspired productions of the recent years which seem to bank on the medieval idea that children would be some gullible half-morons willing to swallow even the most awkward smoke-and-shadows games... Well, NO! "Bedtime Stories" is NO bedtime story - it's not meant to put anyone to stuporous sleep, being instead witty, energizing and fully enjoyable! The script is intelligent, with a solid structure and flexible articulations, and the directing, more than adequate: precise to a point, expressive, spirited and brilliant. In many senses, it reminded me the well-being that I've always been owing to the Zemeckis' "Back to the Future" trilogy: a movie that simply makes you feel full of buoyancy! I hate such politically correct (read: efficiently brainwashing) labels as "family movies", so I state it clearly: it's a good movie for children of all ages - from 3 to 83!

The thing about Bedtime Stories is that it is light, funny, easy to digest and all around great for the whole family.

It's just like any other Sandler's movies except this one doesn't contain any only-for-adults jokes.

It might not be the movie I'd recommend to someone who is in for something serious or something that is seriously funny, but this movie has got it all. There's comedy, slight drama and a lot of action; from cowboys to the outer space.

Great writing and great acting.

Really, there's nothing to complain. It's just a very entertaining family movie, which we don't get a lot these days.

I recommend Bedtime Stories to any Disney fans and also to anyone who'd enjoy Adam Sandler's movies, minus the sexual and dirty jokes.