In another piece about comedians trying their legs at drama (i.e., on the heels of Caryn James‘ 3.25 N.Y. Times article), MSNBC’s Stuart Levine begins his version thusly: I’m very excited to see the new Adam Sandler movie, Reign Over Me, for one big reason: It’s not an Adam Sandler movie.

“In other words, this one’s not geared for 12-year-old boys who’ll collapse in laughter at the sight of any and all bodily functions. Reign is for adults (the story centers around a man trying to deal with the grief of Sept. 11) and I credit Sandler for stepping out of his financial wheelhouse for a chance to do something that won’t be nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award.”

Except Levine doesn’t say anything the least bit descriptive about Sandler’s Reign performance. For this you have to go back to James, to wit:

“There is also something endearing about Sandler’s character, an empathetic quality that comes from the actor, not the role. He looks like the young Bob Dylan rather than a guy too distraught to get a haircut, and gives a two-note performance (near catatonic with a late explosion of grief), yet even here Mr. Sandler displays the appealing everyman persona and ability to hold the screen that he carries to all his films.”