Surprisingly effective

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2006)

I went into this movie expecting a Billy Madison/Happy Gilmore type laugh-fest. There are laughs here, a couple of big ones, but I was surprised at what the movie actually was: a modern day retelling of A Christmas Carol (or maybe It's a Wonderful Life - one of them). I wasn't expecting the turn to drama we get at the end of the film, and thought it was surprisingly well handled.
***********************SPOILER HERE************************ The only drawback I really found was that the basic formula of the movie was pretty trite. Without advertising the movie as being an update of one of those holiday movies, the device used to introduce the remote actually caused me to groan. It also set up for me the exact path of the rest of the movie. That's fine when you know it's coming, but springing it on us saying "nope, you're not seeing the comedy you thought, but rather another type of movie" was kind of a cheat. Still, once I gave into that, I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, and though it was predictable, I thought it was entertaining, and ultimately, a very well done update of the above mentioned stories.
**********************END SPOILER****************** Sandler is very good in this movie, only resorting to Billy Madison shtick (which I admit I like) a couple of times, mostly taking the role head-on and running with it. Kate Beckinsale is absolutely gorgeous as his wife (she doesn't have much to do besides look great). Hasselhoff is very funny, and Walken, well, I wonder if the director just said to him "Be Christopher Walken." Knowing what the film is before you go in may alter the way you see it - it may cause you to enjoy it more rather than feeling cheated, but if you go in with an open mind, I think most people will find this a most satisfying story.