There's something oddly comforting about the existence of Hubie Halloween. This silly little project about a pleasant, frequently bullied middle aged man (Adam Sandler) whose top goal in life is to make sure everyone in Salem, Massachusetts has a safe Halloween marks a return to Sandler's roots where a good-natured goofball gets into assorted misadventures. It's a sufficiently nostalgic experience for anyone that's grew up with Sandler's work and the fact that's he entering his third decade of making lighthearted comedies with his friends is an incredible feat that's worthy of the envy of his peers.
As appealing as its familiarity is, Hubie Halloween manages to fall well short of the projects it shares an unmistakable DNA with (Billy Madison, The Waterboy, Little Nicky). Outside of a few scenes and a nice conclusion that drives home an anti-bullying message that could make a legitimate impact on the millions of kids/teenagers that watch it, Hubie Halloween lacks the healthy laughs/charm balance that drives all of Sandler's best efforts. The expected parade of bit parts/cameos (Steve Buscemi, Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows, Kenan Thompson, Shaquille O'Neal, Rob Schneider) are almost all disposable and most of the comedy stems from a handful of running jokes that get progressively less funny as it goes along (there's only so much mileage you can get from Sandler's character using his utility thermos to get out of trouble and 90-year old June Squibb wearing shirts that could be found at Spencer Gifts in 2012). Even the long overdue reunion between Sandler and Happy Gilmore co-star Julie Bowen fails to generate the sparks this project needed to gain sustained traction. While Hubie Halloween is an easy watch that's far too sincerely goofy to hate, it's ultimately an unsuccessful attempt by Sandler to get back into his vintage groove.
Grade: C
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