Adam Sandler once admitted that he makes movies primarily for himself and his friends. Well, Empire can only wonder how his friends will repay him after seeing 8 Crazy Nights. By avoiding him, probably.
Essentially a Sandler movie central character with rage issues; oddball supporting characters; surreal edge in animated form, at times 8 Crazy Nights threatens to be a balls-out piss-take of traditional animation. But Sandler and co. presumably lost their nerve (early sequences in which, for example, a reindeer licks a man covered in frozen shit soon give way to sentimental guff), while the ho-ho-ho factor is non-existent.
Factor in Nickelodeon-quality animation and astoundingly cynical product placement (in a cartoon, dont forget), and youve got a movie that would depress even Santa.