The director behind Adam Sandler’s forgotten buddy comedyBulletproofhated the end product so much he wishes he hadn’t made it. The early run ofAdam Sandler comediesincludes the likes ofBilly MadisonandAirheads, but it was the surprise success of 1998’sThe Wedding Singerthat truly made him a star.
Nestled in the middle of this 1990s era isBulletproof, a violent action comedy where Sandler co-stars with Damon Wayans. This cast Wayans as a cop tasked with escorting his former criminal friend Moses (Sandler) to court, with the two then forced to go on the run together.
Bulletproofwas a respectable hit in 1996, grossing $22 million(or $56 million, when adjusted for inflation) and opening at number one (viaThe Numbers). Still, the film received almost universally terrible reviews, standing at a meager 8% onRotten Tomatoes.
Bulletproof Is An Underrated Buddy Comedy Starring Adam Sandler
Bulletproofis largely forgotten now, even among Sandler fans. Its critical reception hasn’t improved much either, with many viewing it as a tacky and violentLethal Weaponriff. This is a shame, because while it’s undeniably messy, it’s still a fun ride.
Wayans and Sandler share great chemistry, and when not exchanging barbed insults, there is a sense the two are actually friends.Bulletproofmoves fast, has solid action sequences and a supporting cast that includes the late, great James Caan and Bill Nunn.
Damon Wayans is no stranger to thebuddy cop genre, having also starred inThe Last Boy Scoutwith Bruce Willis and theLethal WeaponTV show.
Compared to the rest of Sandler’s output from this time likeHappy Gilmore,Bulletproofis lacking something special. Many gags land with a thud, and it leans too hard on Sandler and Wayans' chemistry to overcome a very boilerplate story. That’s likely the reason the film has slipped through the cracks of time.
Bulletproof Director Ernest Dickerson Would Like To “Erase” His Experience With The Film
Bulletproofwas helmed by Ernest Dickerson, the former DP for Spike Lee movies likeDo the Right ThingandMalcolm X. During the 1990s, Dickerson moved into directing with movies like cult favoriteTales from the Crypt: Demon Knight, but as he toldDVD Talkin 2004, his fourth movieBulletproofwas a bad experience.
There’s a movie I did a couple years ago called Bulletproof. I’d like to just erase that whole experience. You know, I’m proud of a lot of the films I’ve done, but there’s some situations that happened that, in retrospect, maybe I could have handled them a little differently if I had been a little smarter about it.
Dickerson expanded on his issues withBulletproofin a chat withThe New York Times, stating that the original intent was to make an R-rated comedy strictly for an adult audience.The director grew worried when he saw “15‑ to 16‑year‑old kids” at the movie’s first preview and was then forced to recut itto “sanitize” the main characters.
It still opened at No. 1, but I got the worst reviews of my career. I was criticized for not having everything I was told to take out.
To appease the studio, Dickerson was made to take scissors to his work to make it more palatable. He even recalled being so angry during editing onBulletproofthat he punched a hole in the wall. Even if it was a modest hit, Dickerson can only look back onBulletproofas a mistake.
Despite Being A Hit, Bulletproof Still Sent Ernest Dickerson To Director’s Jail
Even after release, the experience ofBulletproofcontinued to haunt its director. In the aforementionedNYTconversation,Dickerson claims the reception to the Sandler buddy movie lost him gigs and placed him in “Director’s Jail”- which he feels he never fully left.
I had several projects lined up — I had been developing ‘Blade,’ with Wesley Snipes. The whole idea of where Blade went was mine. But the producers looked to Bulletproof and thought I had completely lost my street cred. After that, nobody would touch me. I think I’m still in jail, in a way, because I’m doing television I consider myself a filmmaker who’s working in television.
Dickerson largely retreated to TV followingBulletproof, with the Snoop Dogg horror movieBonesbeing his most notable film in the years since.His TV work is nothing to be sniffed at though, with Dickerson having worked on shows likeThe Wire,The Walking DeadandBosch.
Dickerson has had a healthy career on television, though it is a genuine shame he didn’t get to helm more movies. He was seen as a fresh new talent following his debutJuice, and much of his 1990s directorial output (especiallyDemon Knight) has aged very well indeed.
It would be interesting to see what Dickerson’s original take onBulletproofwas. It’s possible his take was more emotional, putting a bigger emphasis on the strained friendship between Wayans and Sandler’s characters. Given Dickerson’s comments on “sanitizing” the film, this sounds like a safe bet.
Bulletproof Still Received A Sequel
The rise of DVD and Blu-ray gave way to studios looking in their back catalogs for old IP to exploit. This resulted in unlikelySTV sequels likeBackdraft 2, theJarheadfollow-ups andBulletproof 2. Needless to say,this belated sequel doesn’t star Damon Wayans or Adam Sandler, with their roles being recast with Faizon Love and Kirk Fox.
The sequel’s best gag is the implication that the originalBulletproofwas really a film based on their previous misadventure, but that’s it in terms of highlights. This follow-up is a cheap, witless mess that came and went without being noticed in 2020.
Sandler himself hasn’t commented onBulletproofmuch since the 1990s, but according to aCinemaBlendvideo where he makes fun of Jennifer Aniston for having never seen it, he holds some affection for the film. Who knows, ifHappy Gilmorecan get a legacy sequel, maybeBulletproofcould too?
Source: The Numbers, Rotten Tomatoes, DVD Talk, The New York Times, CinemaBlend
