---
title: "Big Daddy: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/big-daddy/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/big-daddy"
critics_score: 53
critics_reviews: 8
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Big Daddy (1999): what the critics said

Critics' score 53 from 8 reviews: 1 positive, 5 mixed, 2 negative.

The reviews lean towards a mixed verdict on Big Daddy, with praise centring on Adam Sandler’s ability to make sentimental material funny and appealing. The warmer responses find sweetness and humility beneath his noisy comic routine, while the Sprouse twins also earn praise. Radio Times is the clearest enthusiast, finding Sandler’s charm enough to overcome a contrived, mawkish story. Even some less enthusiastic reviews find individual scenes charming and the comedy entertaining.

The main division is over how far that appeal compensates for the sentimentality and uneven tone. Several critics find the more serious passages awkward or the second half too mawkish, but the negative responses object to the humour itself. The Guardian finds Sandler’s character mean-minded and insensitive, while Eye for Film dismisses the parenting gags and sitcom-like stereotypes. The spread is wide: the disagreement concerns both whether the jokes work and whether the central character deserves affection.

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Rating 4/5. 

The critic says the film works like a charm despite its contrived, mawkish story. Adam Sandler’s infectious goofball sweetness makes the sentimental comedy enjoyable.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-rljrpu/big-daddy/)

## Empire — Darren Bignell

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. 

The review finds the comedy consistently funny and Sandler’s familiar routine still appealing, despite a clumsy courtroom finale. It singles out Sandler’s blend of noisy loutishness and humility, along with the Sprouse twins’ winning performance.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/big-daddy-review/)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 25 June 1999. 

The URL identifies this as a film review of Big Daddy, but the page content is inaccessible. Its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be verified.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/25/movies/film-review-what-happens-when-a-little-boy-meets-a-very-big-baby.html)

## Time Out — HK

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic’s verdict cannot be determined because the review text is unavailable. No specific praise or complaint can be identified from the accessible page information.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/big-daddy)

## Total Film — Total Film

Rating 3/5. 1 October 1999. 

The critic finds it an entertaining comedy, though its mawkish second half weakens the film. Sandler’s comic performance is singled out for lifting the material and winning over the audience.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/big-daddy-review/)

## Variety — Robert Koehler

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 18 June 1999. 

Koehler finds the film uneven, with its goofy comedy sometimes clashing with its more serious intentions, though he sees it as a step forward for Sandler. He singles out the bedtime-story scene with Layla and Julian as especially charming.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/big-daddy-2-1117499917/)

## The Guardian — Philip French

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 3 October 1999. 

French gives the film a strongly negative verdict, calling it worse than The Waterboy and criticizing its humor. He especially condemns Sandler’s character as mean-minded and insensitive, singling out his treatment of a man at Halloween.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,4267,88379,00.html)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. 

The critic finds the film marginally better than The Waterboy but ultimately dismisses it as a package of bad-parenting gags. He criticizes its sitcom-like stereotypes and recommends Kolya instead for its feeling, intelligence, and humor.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/big-daddy-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/big-daddy.md