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 CHEAPER
BY THE DOZEN 2
by Jane Louise
Boursaw
Rated PG
for some crude humor and mild language. Ok for kids 10 and up. 94
minutes. Directed by Adam Shankman. Released in theaters Dec. 21, 2005.
Should You
Take Your Kids? Some of the humor is unsuitable for kids younger
than 10 years old. Check out the details in "Bringing the Kids" below.
THE
STORY: When we last left the Baker tribe in 2003's Cheaper by
the Dozen, they had settled into their new home in Chicago. Tom
(Steve Martin) had switched out his football coaching job for something
less stressful, and Kate (Bonnie Hunt) had just published her first
book.
This movie
picks up with part of the brood preparing to scatter: Oldest daughter
Nora (Piper Perabo) is pregnant, and she and husband Bud (Jonathan
Bennett) are moving to Houston for his new job. Beauty maven Lorraine
(Hilary Duff) has graduated high school and is moving to New York City
for an internship at Allure Magazine. Charlie (Tom Welling) is working
as a mechanic in Chicago, but
dreams of opening his own shop in the country. With the other kids
growing up, Tom Baker feels that life is passing them by, so he
convinces them to gather for one last family vacation at rustic Lake
Winnetka, Wisconsin their longtime summer getaway.
The retreat
soon becomes cutthroat when Tom runs into Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy),
his voluptuous third wife Sarina (Carmen Electra), and eight kids from
previous marriages. Jimmy has built a mansion there ("It's not much, but
I call it a second home") and now owns most of the property around the
lake.
 Tom
and Jimmy resurrect their longtime rivalry and agree to pit their
families against each other at the annual Labor Day games. But the
romance and friendship the Baker kids find with the Murtaugh kids
disrupts the harmony in both families.
THE
WRAP-UP: The problem with sequels is coming up with fresh
material to keep viewers interested. This movie fails in that
department, falling back on the same tired capers from the 2003 movie,
including a disastrous meal and a crotch-eating dog. They were funny the
first time. Not so much now. Even Steve Martin's physical comedy a
wild kneeboard ride behind a boat, a pratfall through a rickety dock, a
log-rolling contest with Murtaugh can't save this predictable plot.
It's fun to see the family again; I only wish they'd done more than
string this movie together with one Steve Martin stunt after another.
BRINGING THE KIDS:
PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): This movie will whiz right over the tops of
preschoolers' tiny heads. For lessons in familial harmony, they're
better off watching "Max and Ruby" work out their differences on Nick
Jr. or Noggin, or taking a trip with the friendly bunny in "Postcards
From Buster".
GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6-10): While this age group pretty much plans
their life around the "crude humor" promised by a PG rating, a few
scenes had me cringing about bringing my 8-year-old. Bonnie Hunt gets
splashed, comments about being in a wet t-shirt contest, then re-appears
in a provocative t-shirt supplied by Sarina. In another scene, the
family dog jumps on Sarina and begins, well...you know, doing his thing.
Scenes like these simply aren't appropriate for a family movie. There's
also a completely un-funny running gag involving a man in a wheelchair.
TWEEN /
TEEN (ages 11+): Tom Welling and Hilary Duff are a draw for this age
group, and the movie has some interesting commentary about "letting go".
There's a touching storyline about Sarah (Alyson Stoner), the prankster
of the Baker family, going on her first date (which made me misty, since
I'll be experiencing that with my own daughter soon). Still, I wish more
thought and creativity had gone into the storyline. If you and your kids
liked the 2003 movie, it's nice to see the Baker family again and good
for a few chuckles. If you didn't like the first one, save your
hard-earned dollars, because this is more of the same.
SCORE:
2.5 out of 4 Reels.
Jane's Reel Rating
System:
One Reel Pathetic.
Even The Force cant save it.
Two Reels
Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels
Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels Wow! The
stuff dreams are made of.
E-chat with me
at
jane@reellifewithjane.com - I
LOVE to talk about movies!
Read my other reviews
here.
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