When your mother is an angel and your father is the Devil, life can be really confusing. For Little Nicky (Adam Sandler), it just got a whole lot worse. His two evil brothers have just escaped from Hell and are wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting Earth. His dad (Harvey Keitel) is disintegrating and it’s up to Nicky to save him and all of humanity. Can Nicky find his inner evil in time to save the world?
With amazing special effects, a hot heavy metal soundtrack and a star-studded cast including Patricia Arquette, Jon Lovitz, Rodney Dangerfield, and many more, Little Nicky raises Hell … and it has never been so much fun!
For thoughts on Little Nicky, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Little Nicky debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Scream Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that is a really significant upgrade from the ancient DVD from over 20 years ago. This release is derived from a new 2K scan of the Interpositive, and the results are pleasing even without going full 4K for the remaster. The new transfer provides a rich viewing experience overall that is natural, stable and detailed in all respects without applying unsightly digital manipulation for a more artificial appearance.
The film maintains a consistent grain structure that preserves the filmic look of the picture, showcasing subtle details in the underworld production design along with elements on Earth. There is so much detail that was being robbed from this picture when it was stuck on DVD, and now the picture looks more robust than ever. Skin tones are pretty natural, and the splendid natural color palette is rendered faithfully. The foliage and some of the lighting and costumes pop off the screen. Black levels hold up fairly well with some admirable depth to the image. There is still an underlying softness inherent to the cinematography, but the transfer represents this as faithfully as can be. There is no significant damage to be found after the refresh. Shout! Factory has made fans of the film extremely happy by rescuing it from the land of standard definition.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a powerful DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that handles this material flawlessly. From the opening prominence of the soundtrack, you can tell you are in for a good time. The soundtrack is mighty without being overbearing. This particular element maintains its fidelity throughout. Dialogue is the other most substantial element of this track, and every line comes through perfectly clear without competing elements trouncing on important information.
The surrounds channels provide some distinct ambient details to certain environments which helps the world feel more bustling. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately placed so that nothing ever feels off. Moments of banter between Nicky and his growing group of friends are employed appropriately in precise channels in the front and rear. The subwoofer is mostly used to give a few moments some extra texture. Overall, this is a fantastic track that does everything it needs to do really well. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Star Adam Sandler, Director Steven Brill, And Co-Writer Tim Herlihy provide a very lively commentary track in which they discuss the production of the film in decent depth with tons of anecdotes given for each scene including actor bonding experiences, funny moments on set, details of shooting locations, the evolution of jokes and much more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Hosted By Michael McKean, this audio commentary track features conversations with cast members including Jon Lovitz, Kevin Nealon, Henry Winkler, Ozzy Osbourne and more. There are some amusing conversations throughout which keep this one entertaining and provide some additional background details on the film.
- Adam Sandler Goes To Hell: A nearly 33-minute archival documentary is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the production of the film including the fun and familial atmosphere on set, the work put into bringing this world to life in the crafts, injuries sustained on set, the heavy metal aesthetic, the effects work and more.
- Satan’s Top Forty: An 18-minute piece on the history of heavy metal music featuring interviews from rock historian Greg Burk, musicians Gene Simmons, Zakk Wylde, Ronnie James Dio, and Ozzy Osbourne, production designer Perry Blake, and actors Allen Covert, Adam Sandler, Peter Dante, Jonathan Loughran, and Kevin Nealon.
- Deleted, Extended and Alternate Scenes: There is nearly 19 minutes of unused material provided which features some amusing moments that were cut for time and pacing.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Little Nicky is considered by many to be one of the early stumbling blocks of Adam Sandler’s career, but we cannot abide by this take. Perhaps it is the time this entered our lives, but this movie is hilarious in spite of its numerous dated elements. Sandler completely commits to his ridiculous voice and the physical comedy, and the supernatural flourishes are refreshing when it comes to the Sandman. The ensemble is used effectively from Harvey Keitel as The Devil to Quentin Tarantino as a crazed “End of the World” preacher and even Reese Witherspoon as an angelic force. Of course we cringe at some of the regressive jokes, but there are so many jokes that still keep us laughing after more than two decades. Scream Factory has released a new Blu-Ray that sports a favorable A/V presentation and a fun array of legacy supplemental features. If you are also a fan who has been clamoring for this one in HD, you will not be let down. Recommended
Little Nicky is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Shout! Studios has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
