Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star

Another ill-conceived mishmash of puerile humor and disingenuous sap from Adam Sandler's Happy Madison production company, Dickie Roberts features David Spade as a Hollywood has-been trying to recapture the childhood he never had in an attempt to win a comeback role as a "normal guy." In what should have been a perfect vehicle for his meager talents and snarky, one-note persona, Spade barely even tries to create a character (beyond being crass, uncouth, and insecure--i.e., his usual shtick) when he moves in with a suburban family and wreaks havoc. Director Sam Weisman (the rotten 1999 Out-of-Towners remake) only pays lip service to the film's concept, as Spade knocks out transparently self-aware adlibs, helps the kids stand up to bullies, and skulks around the pretty mom (Mary McCormack) in a clumsy attempt at a romantic subplot. All of this builds up to a big audition for the lead in a schmaltzy Rob Reiner movie--an audition that Weisman doesn't have the courage to show because Spade doesn't have the talent to muster up the authenticity and emotion he's supposedly learned from his experiences. Not recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include two audio commentaries (one by director Sam Weisman; the other by costar/co-writer David Spade and co-writer Fred Wolf), the Reel Comedy Comedy Central special “Dickie Roberts” (17 min.), the 16-minute “making of” featurette “The True Hollywood Story,” the 12-minute featurette “Pencil Dickie: Writing the Story,” the seven-minute featurette “Behind ‘Child Stars on Your Television',” an extended music video for “Child Stars on Your Television,” nine deleted scenes (7 min.) including a “former ending,” and trailers. Bottom line: a nice extras package for another bad SNL alumni vanity project.] (R. Blackwelder)