By Ashley Sanchez | Staff Writer
In his new spooky and fun filled movie, “Hubie Halloween,” Adam Sandler brings to life yet another oddball character. The movie revolves around Sandler’s character, Hubie Dubois living in his small town, which is dedicated to large Halloween festivities as well as treating Hubie poorly for his big heart for his dedication to the safety of others.
Hubie Dubois is a man-child who spends his days working at the deli and protecting the town of Salem. Although his actions cause the town to call him a “snitch” and a “weirdo,” his childhood crush Violent Valentine sticks up for him since she is in love with him.
On October 31, the self appointed Halloween safety officer finds himself in a real murder investigation for long and eventfull night. Closer to him than he thinks, the suspects include an oddball wolf-becoming neighbor (Steve Buscemi) and an on-the-loose prison escapee (Rob Schneider).
The movie is packed with Sandler’s usual squad of famous actors/friends including Ray Liotta, Kevin James, Noah Schnapp, and of course, his wife Jackie Sandler along with his daughters Sunny and Sadie Sandler.
Adam Sandler’s performance in the comedy reflects his classic character from his previous movie, “The Waterboy,” a not-so-bright goofball who can’t talk well but has a big heart. Sandler’s acting in the movie is interesting and comedic, however the repetition of his past characters makes it more difficult for older audiences to find it appealing.
The Netflix comedy is rated PG-13, the content of the comedy may not be entirely appropriate for younger audiences, although the plot suits that of children rather than adults.
The director Steve Brill worked alongside cinematographer Seamus Tierney to create brilliant shots consisting of small clips with visual gags. These gags include snippets of objects angrily thrown at Hubie regularly as he rides his bike, which were random yet still funny.
Essentially the scenes leading up to the big plot twist made Hubie’s journey around town seem like a grand adventure with the audience along for the ride, also intrigued as to who did it.
Many of the costumes in the comedy were just that— costumes. The scenes for Halloween night consisted of young children trick or treating in Halloween costumes and many of the main characters going about their scenes dressed in halloween costumes which made the movie just a little more hilarious.
Parts of the movie were filmed in Salem, Massachusetts in order to accurately depict the Salem setting for specific scenes of the film. The beautiful town filled with large homes, trees and wide streets allowed for a spooky small town environment as Hubie solved the mystery on Halloween night.
Overall, Hubie Halloween is a perfect spooky movie to watch with older kids and nostalgic Sandler fans for a night filled with laughter and fun.