The Top Five Adam Sandler Movies/The Top Five Worst Adam Sandler Movies
Of course, there have never been too many enormous movie stars as divisive as Adam Sandler. A critical punching bag for most of his career, Sandler can only find good press when he ventures out of his comfort zone. But those are typically the films his die hard fans stay away from. Hopefully, we'll give you the best of both worlds here, or the best of one and the worst of another. Or something.
The Top Five Adam Sandler Movies
5 - Reign Over Me
4 - Big Daddy
3 - Happy Gilmore
2 - Spanglish
1 - The Wedding Singer
I think this list gives us the best "Sandler" movies and also two of his recent efforts at non-"Sandler" legitimacy. I know people who think he should've received an Oscar nomination for Reign Over Me. I wouldn't go that far (one of those same people gave There Will Be Blood an "F", meaning it's completely irredeemable, so there you go), but it's a solid performance in a solid movie.
Big Daddy, to me, was the movie where Sandler decided he needed to grow up eventually, and it's maybe the third or fourth best script he's ever worked with. He was also toned down, really for the first time, and that was a welcome change.
Happy Gilmore was a sign of things to come, and is definitely the funniest movie he's done, if not terribly accomplished in any other way.
I love Spanglish. Again, it's not the traditional Sandler or a traditional story, but elementally, this is probably the best movie he's done, if not his best movie.
There's just no denying The Wedding Singer, though. It's still good, it's still funny, the premise was original enough, and Sandler showed that uncomfortable leading man presence that still carries over today.
And now for the bad news...
The Top Five Worst Adam Sandler Movies
5 - Punch-Drunk Love
4 - Mr. Deeds
3 - Bulletproof
2 - Little Nicky
1 - Eight Crazy Nights
The most spirited discussion about any Adam Sandler movie would have to be about Punch-Drunk Love. For the record, I absolutely hated it. If I hadn't been at the Toronto Film Festival when I saw it, I would've walked out. Just couldn't tolerate it. A few voters had it on their best list, and a couple more than that had it on their worst. I'll compromise and drop it at least two notches from where I'd put it myself and place it at number five.
Mr. Deeds is a real curiosity. Just when Sandler had hit his stride, this thing comes out and it's just so lazy and uninspired. I can't remember anything funny about it and even for the generally low quality of a "Sandler" movie, this one stinks. It's the worst of his forgivable trespasses.
Why Bulletproof at number three? Four words: Adam Sandler, Action Star. Uh-huh.
The two worst Adam Sandler movies are beyond atrocious. I don't know anyone who likes either Eight Crazy Nights or Little Nicky, and Sandler fans are pretty vocal about their tastes in his movies.
I have Eight Crazy Nights at number one because it ruins "The Chanukah Song," which is still Sandler's crowning achievement. Other than that, I probably hate them equally.













Reader Comments (2)
I have to say, I really like Little Nicky. It's one of those things where it was trashed so bad that when I saw it, it wasn't as bad as I heard. Besides, you have to look at it for its absurdity, just like the new Zohan movie. If you don't like Little Nicky, stay away from Zohan, but if you did like Zohan, go back and re-examine Little Nicky. It's the same kind of rampant silliness.
Am I blind or did you actually leave Billy Madison off the list of Adam Sandler's best movies? The fact that you left probably his funniest movie to date out is funnier than all of sandlers movies combined!