Big Daddy

Adam Sandler, the latest heir to the doofus comedy tradition of the Three Stooges, Jerry Lewis and Jim Carrey, stars as an overgrown adolescent named Sonny, who ends up caring for the illegitimate child of his randy roommate in this sentimental, irritatingly generic tale. Gags built around Sonny's laissez-faire parenting style are predictably hit and miss, with the film's best laughs coming when Sandler is playing the irresponsible id-beast we've all come to know and love. Unfortunately, his cutesy-pie chats with love interest Joey Lauren Adams and his sad-eyed paternal moments are the epitome of movie mawkishness. Truth is, Sandler's much more fun to watch when he is a child than when he has a child. Not recommended. (S. Renshaw)