Little Nicky at 25: Adam Sandler’s underrated demonic comedy deserves another shot

A controversial take I often floor people with is that I dislike the early career comedies of Jim Carey and Adam Sandler. Nothing grinds my gears more about the early ’90s than unrealistic, idiotic, screwball characters in movies like Ace Ventura, Billy Madison, Dumb and Dumber, and Happy Gilmore. But somewhere during the mid-to-late ‘90s, both comedians mellowed and went on to make films I regard as their best: The Cable Guy, The Truman Show, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy, and more. And during this “earnest guy” era of Sandler, wedged in between Big Daddy and Mr. Deeds (both mega hits at the box office) is the underrated flop known as Little Nicky.