Bedtime Stories (PG, 2008)

Adam Sandler plays Skeeter Bronson, a hotel handyman who agrees to babysit his newly divorced sister Wendy's (Courteney Cox) two kids -- with the help of Wendy's friend Jill (Kerri Russell) -- while she goes to an out-of-state job interview. While he's taking care of his niece and nephew, Skeeter begins a nightly tradition of telling bedtime stories the children contribute to, only to realize the next day that even outlandish aspects of the story are coming true. Seizing the opportunity, Skeeter uses the magical tales to get a shot at running the hotel his father once owned -- if he can prove himself worthier than the hotel's brown-nosing manager, Kendall (Guy Pearce).

After a long list of crude movies that have kept Sandler secure in his reign as the king of drunken-frat boy comedies, this is his first real family film (his 2002 Hanukkah comedy Eight Crazy Nights is animated, but it's not for kids). The good news is that the movie, though not particularly original, is sure to crack up the kiddies (what other purpose does the bug-eyed guinea pig have?) -- and it's pleasant enough for parents to enjoy, too. And die-hard Sandler fans will even find a few of his signature touches -- his goofy scat-talking, a beautiful blond to ogle (Teresa Palmer), a silly sidekick (a scene-stealing Russell Brand), and even a Rob Schneider cameo.

That said, as a fantasy comedy, BEDTIME STORIES falls far short of a family classic. Cute? Yes. But memorable? Not really. It's no Princess Bride. What is remarkable is that, stripped of all his graphic humor, Sandler is capable of starring in a comedy that's appropriate for even young kids. And utlimately, it's hard not to be charmed by the message that you should never stop trying to make your dreams a reality.