In all honesty, I’ve been waiting to review this film merely because I love the thought of having “Adam Sandler” and “Daddy” in the same sentence.
“Big Daddy” is shit. God, it’s such a terrible film. This film makes absolutely no fucking sense. Maybe it was the shitty WatchSeries link I was watching it on, but there are so many continuity errors and plot holes in the film.
Sonny (Sandler) gets left with this abandoned kid at his house. He then finds out that the kid’s dad is a very close friend of his who is currently away and cannot take care of young Julian, so Sonny steps up and becomes the “big daddy”. He teaches the kid all the wrong ways to go about life and then comes to love this tiny fucker with all his heart.
The whole film is a cesspit of gross humour and cheesy ‘tug on the ol’ heartstrings’ moments. It’s almost like he was trying to produce a film that’s a hybrid of the humour of “Mr. Deeds” and of the emotions of “Click” and absolutely carked it. You can tell that this film was one of his earlier works, because the humour and script are not as refined as they usually are. Sandler looked bored most of the time, half the plot jumps around and makes no sense, and there are so many random ‘bits’ that are added for no apparent reason (unless it’s a McDonald’s breakfast advertisement). It’s just all a fucking mess.
I mean sure, 1999 was a very different time for all of us. Sandler has changed and developed so much as an artist that we can’t judge his past. But I honestly believe that he was riding the “Happy Gilmore” and “Wedding Singer” wave so hard that he forgot to put any real effort into this film. It’s almost like he knew he would become a father in 2006, and used this film as a warning video for why he shouldn’t be a dad. But isn’t it also a bit fucked up that his character in the film “Big Daddy” is called Sonny, and in 2008 he named his second daughter Sunny? Like surely that’s a bit fucking messed up? Is Adam Sandler’s almost 10-year-old daughter the only living testament to his awful film?
It’s late, I am sick, I can’t feel my brain anymore. Every week my feelings on the Sandman fluctuate, and right now I want to deck him straight in his face. But in saying that, he will always be my big daddy.