Adam Sandler and his whole Happy Madison crew have teamed up with Disney, and a pair of mildly unlikable children, to create a thoroughly unlikable movie. Predicated on a mediocre premise (every time he tells a bedtime story to his niece and nephew, whatever suggestions they make come true! Isn't that wacky and wild?), the movie languidly plods along until it ends, thankfully, in a neatly wrapped-up smile-fest.

Disney is obviously phoning it in this time, throwing in its patented heartstring-pulls whenever the story seems like it's sagging. And mama, this story sags more than a cheap hammock. Is the audience losing interest? Mention the kids' absent father! Is the forced romance between Keri Russell and Mr. Sandler fizzling? Bring up the kids' school being closed by the evil big company! The lazy formula is down pat: The first act makes you happy with the setup, the second act makes you sad with the conflict, and the third act makes you happy again, with a race to save the school and the passionate kiss at the end.

The writing is just plain lazy. I hope you liked the joke about the guinea pig with big eyes in the commercial, because you're going to see it another 30 times over the course of the movie. Oh, and he farts at the end. So get ready for that. More often than not, Sandler's jokes fall flat, too. He'll make a funny voice! He'll eat toothpaste! He'll make fun of health food! The mildly unlikable children laugh. The audience doesn't.