My nieces (aged 13, 9, and 7) insisted I watch this movie with them. (They also insisted that I watch HITCH with them, too, but I managed to weasel out of that one as it was a school night.) I was reluctant to sit down and view this film but every time I "accidentally" got up and wandered into another room, the kids would pause the DVD and yell at me until I came back and sat down.
So, what exactly makes a movie beloved by my tween-aged nieces? Well, I'm not exactly sure. I do know why I enjoyed it. Like any Adam Sandler film, it's mostly about the ensemble. Sean Astin as the mesh-shirt-wearing lisping steriod-muffin brother of Drew Barrymore's character was reason enough for me to see it. Face it, there isn't anything better than seeing Samwise come into a room, hang himself by his knees from the chandelier to do sit-ups only to have the entire chandelier fall from the ceiling a second later. 
The other reason to see this film is Rob Schneider. When I first saw him cast as a half-blind Hawaiian named Ula, I felt guilty. I mean, Rob Schneider's white... right? The thing is, he sort of looks Hawaiian/Caucasian/Asian and since his character is someone no one wants to be, it ends up being okay.
As for the story, well, it's Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore being cute. Since they both are at about the same acting level, it works out fine. There are also cute penguins, a cool walrus, some really great actual Hawaiians, pretty views, pineapples, Dan Akyroyd as a physician, amateur art, head injuries, and a happy ending. Which is enough for my nieces and was more than enough for me.
