Cheaper by the Dozen 2
Review by Clint Morris
Sometimes you’ve just gotta face it: the “cheaper”
alternative might be better than the higher-end product.
In the case of the new Steve Martin starring sequel Cheaper
by the Dozen 2, most of it might be made out of utilitarian
outmoded materials, but that’s not to say the end product
is a mess - in fact, as far as family comedies go, it’s
pretty well constructed.
Chances are, you’ll have a much better time with this
than you will with half of the big blockbusters playing at
the moment.
In this sequel to the remake, Martin and Bonnie Hunt reprise
their roles as the Bakers, the parents of twelve all-rather-distinct
kids. Fearing that the family are all slowly being separated
- one is going off to live in New York, another is moving
far away with her new hubby - they decide to spend one last
summer together at the old family lake house.
When they get there, his old rival (a smug Eugene Levy) plays
a part in turning what was meant to be a tranquil family holiday
into a battle of the egos.
If you enjoyed the first one - and lets admit it, everyone
but your token hard-nosed critic did - then you’ll enjoy
this. It might have a pretty thin story - and most of it seems
eerily familiar to John Hughes’ The Great Outdoors
(1988) which featured John Candy and Dan Aykroyd in similar
roles to the ones Martin and Levy play here - but it doesn’t
try to be anything but light, fluffy, warm-hearted and somewhat
dim-ish entertainment.
There aren’t any really big belly laughs, but the cast,
especially the always good-value Martin, make it an easily
endurable hour and a half - and its got enough in it to appeal
to both the littlies and the biggies, so no ones rear is going
to be asking for an acquittal halfway through.
Still, as good as Steve Martin is in these comedies - and
for better and worse, he’ll be forever known as that
funnyman we all know and love - we know now, especially after
seeing him in the fantastic dramedy Shopgirl (which
he also wrote), that he’s capable of much, much more.
Martin sleepwalks through his role again here - only really
waking up when he has to run into something or fall balls-first
onto a log. The man has to eat though.
3 out of 5
Cheaper By The Dozen 2
Australian release: Thursday the 22nd of December, 2005.
Cast: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Eugene Levy, Tom Welling,
Hilary Duff, Piper Perabo, Carmen Electra.
Director: Adam Shankman.
Website: Click
here.
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