Predictably Unamusing

Rating: 2/10 (25 May 2008)

As some other users notes, this is a timeless story - that has been both beautifully and interesting presented, in movies like It's A Wonderful Life and in the story of Faust. However, why Adam Sandler's production company decided this needed to be updated and retold, is simply unknowable - because other than adding an unfunny crudeness (fart jokes, boob jokes, dogs humping a stuffed duck?), it did nothing that a recent, better made movie like Nicolas Cage's The Family Man did, while covering much of the same territory.
What is also further implausible (and becomes even more so as Sandler ages and lets himself go) is that he would end up with the hot girl. In some of his other movies, there was some unknown charm or childlike wonder or other unearthed element to the roles he played to justify how he got the girl (say in Big Daddy or even Billy Madison), but in this he plays a unpleasant, unattractive, unappealing shlub. He might rate a decent girl - not Kate Beckinsale.
Another problem with the script is how poorly thought out some parts are - why would the Angel of Death do something for a "nice guy?" In this role, Walken was either the devil or god, but not the Angel of Death. Its elements like this that show how poorly thought out and poorly developed this concept was - once they decided to rip it off from better made movies.