 Bedtime Stories [Blu-ray] INTERVIEWS
As a handyman at the hotel his father used to own, Skeeter Bronson (Adam Sandler) spends his days changing light bulbs and competing with the hotel’s smarmy manager (Guy Pearce) for the attention of the new owner’s beautiful, hard-partying daughter, Violet (Theresa Palmer). When his sister Wendy (Courteney Cox) asks Skeeter to babysit her kids for a week while she’s out of town, Skeeter entertains his niece and nephew with elaborate, original bedtime stories that transport them to exotic locales, including ancient Greece, the Wild West and outer space. When he tries to help his family by telling one outlandish tale after another, it’s the kids’ unexpected contributions that turn all of their lives upside down. Full of imaginative special effects and good-natured hilarity, Bedtime Stories is a winning combination of comedy and adventure.
A hotel maintenance man named Skeeter(Adam Sandler) wants to be the hotel manager after he was promised the position when he was a young boy. His father Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce) loved the hotel industry but, wasn’t a very good businessman and had to sell his hotel to Barry Nottingham (Richard Griffiths). Years later Skeeter finds himself being left behind on being promoted to hotel manager even though it was promised to him when Nottingham bought the hotel from Bronson. Skeeters sister Wendy (Courney Cox) is a divorced elementary school principal with two young children. She has a job interview out of town and asks Skeeter to watch the children at night and asks her friend Jill (Keri Russell) to watch them during the day. While she is away, the adventure for this movie takes off when Skeeter tells the children bedtime stories and elements of the stories come true the next day. After realizing what is happening, Skeeter tries to use this to his advantage but it turns out that it isn’t what he says that comes true but what the children say is what actually happens. While working this situation, he gets the kids to lead a story in which he would get a chance at the manager’s job.
The movie is fun and silly. It has its moments of being on the right track but seems to fall short at times. The story tries to put a romantic spin between Skeeter and Jill that could have been left out or developed stronger. The children have a pet guinea pig with big bug eyes named Bugsy that is a cuddly creature that steals the show when he is on screen. Also, Skeeter’s best friend is Mickey (Russell Brand), who has some good screen time, but the relationship between the two could have been portrayed stronger and led to funnier situations.
Seeing this movie presented in Blu-ray was really a treat. The colors are vibrant and rich with the contrast really having a good punch and give the shadow detail depth. The audio is quite good with the center channel seeming to handle most of the work but there are subtle effects and background sounds that fills the room in the surround speakers.
Bonus Features:
- (HD) Until gravity do us part – 4 minute featurette that looks at the outer space fight sequence
- (HD) To all the little people – 5 minute behind the scenes feature on the two young stars of Bedtime stories
- (HD) It’s Bugsy – 3 minute featurette on the guinea pigs that played our bug eyed friend/pet Bugsy
- (HD) Laughter is contagious: Outtakes/Bloopers – 6 minutes
- (HD) Cutting room floor: 12 Deleted scenes
- Disney BD-Live enabled
- DisneyFile Digital Copy – Includes a standard definition version of the film that can be downloaded from a compatible PC to a portable playback device
- Bonus Disc – DVD version of Bedtime Stories
All in all I liked this movie but had higher expectations. I think some of the comedy could have been strong with more interaction between Sandler and Brand and I think the love story kind of got lost in the mix as well as the chemistry between Sandler and Cox. I think this is a good movie to see but I question that for the $35 you will get hit for the Blu-ray copy of this movie if you will actually get your money’s worth. I strongly recommend renting this movie first and see if you hold it in higher regard. |
