Daddy Day Care

Review by Clint Morris

One-time wild man Eddie Murphy is 'back where he doesn't belong' -- to steal a tagline from the poster of Beverly Hills Cop II -- in kid-friendly family featureville.

But while his many fans would rather see him delving into the racy, uncontrolled gags and routine he became famous for (in movies like the Cop series, as well as Raw and Delirious), one can't blame Murphy for returning to the family genre.

After all, it's the only class he's made money in over the last decade. Why wouldn't he want to extend his stay?

Murphy's latest is nothing but drawn out TV sitcom fodder, with a plot that was probably written by a studio exec on toilet tissue as he sat on the can.

But despite its trouble-free pattern, there's still something infectiously enjoyable about Murphy and the parade on show here.

In it, he plays a suddenly unwaged father, Charlie, who, facing mounting bills, hits on an idea to kick off a day care centre in his own house, which he'd run with fellow - and also recently cast off - co-worker, Phil [Jeff Garlin, of TV's "Curb Your Enthusiasm"].

At first the hapless pair are in it just for the money and treat their small band of ankle biters like petite annoyances, keeping them quiet with sugar and financial bribes, but as the business grows (they find a third worker in the form of Marvin, played by Steve Zahn) they form quite a bond with the children, with Charlie even winning over his 4 year old son [an adorable Khamani Griffin], whose desperate to spend a little time with Dad.

But naturally there's also someone who wants to pinch your balloon with a pin once you've got it fully blown up, and that threat comes in the form of the rival kindergarten's headmaster [Angelica Huston] who'll go well out her way to see this new kinder reeks of more than over-soiled nappies...

More Kindergarten Cop (sans the violence) than Doctor Doolittle or The Nutty Professor, Daddy Day Care is as family-oriented as Murphy's gotten, with everything from the cutesy kids, to the jokes posing no threat to a kid-packed audience.

Ok, so most of the humour does borderline on the juvenile and silly (what do you expect?) - but if it's putting a smile on the kids faces that is your goal, this'll do it - and then some. Mums and Dads probably won't have too bad a time, either.

It is sad that Mr Murphy has had to retreat to Disney-esque family fodder like this, but if he is to waddle in the kiddie's pool for a while (at least until Beverly Hills Cop 4 starts up), let it be for cute, and rather amusing offerings like this.

3 out of 5

Daddy Day Care
Australian release: Thursday June 26th
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn, Anjelica Huston, Lacey Chabert, Khamani Griffin.
Director: Steve Carr.
Website: Click here

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