The best part of Adam Sandler's Crazy Eight Nights is its ridiculously awesome animation

Comedy, by design, is a boundary-pushing medium, which means it functions as a time capsule of social sensibilities and the politics of respectability. What was considered edgy or transgressive in the days of a comedian like Lenny Bruce has certainly evolved, and the jokes about making fun of people for existing in the late 90s and in the early 2000s are rightly outdated. "Eight Crazy Nights" opens with Rob Schneider doing an offensively racist voice of a waiter in a Chinese restaurant, and it's just a rundown from there. When the film isn't downright problematic, it leans into the most juvenile sensibilities possible.

In arguably his most memorable moment, Davey throws Whitey into a Port-a-Potty and pushes him down a hill like a sled. It feels like a gag born out of the "Jackass" stunt craze, but written by someone who doesn't understand why "Jackass" is so beloved. When Whitey finally comes out of the toilet, he is covered in feces. Adding insult to injury, Davey sprays him with a garden hose to freeze him into a "poop". A herd of deer show up and lick the ice until Whitey thaws out, grinning broadly to show his poo-covered teeth.

There are some genuinely heartfelt moments scattered throughout the story, but the film is constantly derailed by dodgy jokes and cheap, discriminatory attempts at "humour". Davey is given a tragic backstory in an effort to explain his Scrooge-like behavior, but he's not just a prankster - he's actively mean-spirited. It's hard to find laughs in someone whose behavior is often beyond repair, which also makes it hard for an audience to feel empathy for them.