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Movie Review: Are We Done Yet?

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Are We Done Yet?
Directed by Steve Carr
Written by Hank Nelken from the motion picture Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House written by Norman Panama and Melvin Frank
Sony

Here’s a dose of modern-day unoriginality: a sequel, to an original film, that is a remake of a 1948 Cary Grant/Myrna Loy vehicle.  This is the sequel to the annoying Are We There Yet? in which Ice Cube would not have had a jury in the world convict him had he disposed of the two overbearingly bratty kids he was toting cross-country.

This time, Nick Persons (Cube) and wife Suzanne (Nia Long) are expecting twins and decide to move into a dream home with existing kids Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Bolden).  Nick has just gotten an advance to publish a new sports magazine and so he buys a seemingly nice house, complete with a cabin, from real estate agent Chuck Mitchell (John C. McGinley, doing his interpretation of John Candy from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles).

Of course, the house isn’t as nice as it would seem.  It has electrical problems, dry rot, and termites, so Nick has to hire a contractor, who also happens to be Chuck Mitchell, to help him fix all of the various troubles.  Meanwhile, Nick’s stepkids are having trouble adjusting, especially daughter Lindsey, and wife Suzanne is beginning to feel neglected.

I still hate these kids.  Lindsey especially.  If anybody out there watches this movie and can find one redeeming quality in this character, then I owe you a Coke.  Every little pratfall inevitably ushers in a cutaway to the kids bursting out laughing.  Drinking game alert! 

Look, this kind of movie just isn’t entertaining to me.  I feel like almost every scene is wrong.  Nick Persons seems both uptight and easygoing, depending on what the movie wants him to be.  And when Nick finally gets a small victory during a fishing scene leading to the ending, director Steve Carr can’t seem to allow Nick to bask in it.  He’s supposed to be our hero, so let him have his moment.  But sure enough, Carr cuts away to the next scene like it isn’t important.

Somewhere in here is a movie crying to be good but can’t be heard over all the noise.

Comments

Comment from KW
Time: April 4, 2007, 4:56 pm

To think that you willingly sit through crap like this just so we readers can have a review. You’ve got guts, man. I wouldn’t go to see this for free, let alone pay to see it.

And with that said, I have to admit that I’m sort of glad Ice Cube keeps getting work. He has a genuine likability.

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