Adam Sandler’s ‘Hubie Halloween’ is Better Than it Should Be
Adam Sandler threatened to make a movie “...that is so bad on purpose just to make you all pay,” if he didn’t win the Oscar for “Uncut Gems.”
The Hubie Halloween House. Source: "Hubie Halloween5" by Dex1138 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
Unfortunately, he didn’t walk away with the golden statue, and his response to that was “Hubie Halloween: ”a comedy that somehow does not flop as hard as it tries to. Sandler called upon his usual friends for this one, with Kevin James and Rob Schneider taking roles along with some unexpected faces like Steve Buscemi and Ray Liotta.
The film follows Hubie Dubois (Sandler): a man living with his mother who is the neighborhood’s Halloween Monitor, patrolling the town on Halloween night. He’s picked on by the kids in town and adults, as well. After an introduction to Hubie and his misfortunes, we meet his mysterious new neighbor, Walter Lambert (Buscemi).
When Halloween arrives, shenanigans ensue as festivities begin and pranks are pulled, with Hubie in the center of the action. What begins as harmless pranks and gags turns into a hunt for an actual killer.
Sandler awkwardly and annoyingly moves from one scene to the next giving minimal effort, and the rest of the cast does too, with the script on-par with Sandler’s worst. But even with this lack of effort, the film's message manages to hit home. For a film that has you rolling your eyes, shaking your head and asking “Just why?” there are moments that make you smile and laugh. You will find yourself giggling at some of the jokes and running gags, but there are more that will leave you scratching your head or looking away.
Somehow, even through all of this, the film manages to leave you with a solid reminder that being yourself isn’t just the best thing you can do for yourself, but for those around, as well. There’s also a nice unexpected twist, which adds to its charm. All in all, “Hubie Halloween” is worth checking out if you find humor in some of Sandler films like “Grown Ups” and “Little Nicky.” Just don’t take it too seriously.