Hubie Halloween Review: A Spooky Addition to the Sandler-Verse that Isn’t Entirely Awful

Is Hubie Halloween a good movie? No, it really is not.

Adam Sandler’s protagonist has an accent and a thermos that doubles as a grappling hook. That’s all you really need to know to gauge how successful this film is.

That being said, this is a typical Sandler special for Happy Madison Productions. So if you were expecting a good movie, that’s on you. If you are expecting a revolving door of famous faces (yes, that means Kevin James) and jokes that hinder entirely on bodily fluids, then you are in luck.

Hubie Halloween doesn’t bother treading new territory even in the name of Spooky season. But it’s also not the incredibly bad movie Adam Sandler promised in the event that Uncut Gems did not win an Oscar — and that could be entirely thanks to timing.

The film follows social outcast and self-appointed safety monitor, Hubie Dubois (Adam Sandler) as he tries to keep the town of Salem, Massachusetts safe from evil forces on the spookiest night of the year. This Halloween, however, something much more sinister than mean-spirited pranks is afoot.

Hubie Halloween is an entirely harmless watch, free of frights and common sense.

The humour being volleyed around by this large ensemble is witless and familiar — the kind we’ve come to embrace with these films. The plot is baseless, with the type of surface-level story that has me convinced these movies are written in the span of one afternoon.

It’s every Adam Sandler comedy you’ve seen, and then some. So, you don’t have to necessarily invest in any of the characters or the plot because this film’s formula is just as forgettable as all the rest.

But here’s the most frightful thing about Hubie Halloween, I couldn’t care less that it’s a terrible movie.

This has been an absolute garbage year, made worse by the complete lack of new entertainment available and an inability to celebrate this spooky season right. Not only is an Adam Sandler comedy the least of our worries, but it’s also the closest we might get to genuinely fun entertainment this Halloween.

So I find myself able to enjoy this movie, awful boner jokes and all, for the sweet and easily digestible candy bar it is.

For a brief time, the audience can escape into a world where giant gatherings aren’t nearly as terrifying as Hubie’s projectile vomiting, or Shaquille O’Neal’s “DJ Aurora” voice.

It helps that Adam Sandler has spent years perfecting his craft and now that we are finally ready for some stupid fun entertainment, we have films like this that are smart enough to know just what kind of stupid will sell.

One of the film’s biggest selling points is its star-studded cast — something that has become a staple of any Sandler-verse project and for good reason.

This film doesn’t exactly juggle it’s large ensemble well, leading to an astronomical amount of plot issues throughout. But who cares about plot when you have Steve Buscemi as a werewolf to occupy your time. Or better yet, Ben Stiller reprising his role as Hal L from Happy Gilmore.

How about Maya Rudolph’s vocal displeasure with her character’s sex life and her husband, played by Tim Meadows. Even June Scibb and her increasingly awful shirt-sayings have their draws at times thanks to the sheer amount of talent present.

Julie Bowen is particularly great as Violet, the sweet girl-next-door type that helps drown out the bitter aftertaste some of these vengeful townspeople leave in their wake.

It helps that she is backed by an ensemble of young up-and-comers that carve their own mark on this Halloween special. The most recognizable face of this youthful ensemble is Stranger Things‘ Noah Schnapp, who plays one of many notable teen characters that are too easily forgotten amongst the onslaught of stars at this film’s disposal.

None-the-less, there is some entertainment to be had with Karan Brar’s meanspirited Mike Mundi and Paris Berelc’s charismatic Megan.

And if the promise of high-end Halloween costumes and expensive lawn decorations is what brought you to this Adam Sandler movie in the first place, then you will not be disappointed.

When all else fails, it’s safe to advert one’s gaze to the glorious backdrops that frame this film’s spooky shenanigans. I mean Hubie Halloween really hits all the iconic landmarks from jack-o-lantern lit porches to a fright-night double feature at the local drive-in to a corn maze with just the right amount of ominous fog.

The over-the-top costumes complement these sets in all the ways that matter thanks to dozens of background extras dressed and ready to impress in almost every ensemble scene.

My particular favourite would have to be Mike’s Freddie Mercury costume complete with a pair of false teeth. But there’s no denying China Anne McClain’s Egyptian goddess and Maya Rudolph’s Bride of Frankenstein are just as impressive every time we see these two on-screen.

This film truly is a visual smorgasbord for anyone that loves all things Halloween!

Hubie Halloween is not necessarily as mindless as its many pratfalls and pranks would lead you to believe. Underneath the clever but cruel nicknames and belligerent mockery of our protagonist is an important lesson that viewers of all ages can come to appreciate.

I mean I wouldn’t go as far as to say Squibb attempting to burn people at the stake because “bullying is bad’ makes for a good lesson, but the film does stress that kindness will always prevail and that’s a sentiment I think we can all get behind.

There is a solid mystery at the core of this story too. It’s a mystery because this film jumps from point to point so sporadically that anticipating who did what to who is nearly impossible — but a decent mystery none-the-less.

And for viewers that stay for the credits, there is a heartwarming dedication to actor Cameron Boyce, who unfortunately passed away before he could begin filming on this project. It’s a sweet gesture from a film that feels rather sweet in its own execution.

It seems the ability to be entertained by Hubie Halloween is just one of many surprises this year has thrown our way.

—

What did you think of Hubie Halloween? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Hubie Halloween is streaming now on Netflix.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

13 Spooky TV Shows To Get You Pumped For Halloween