R.V.

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Should you bring the kids? Twelve-year-old boys will love this movie, because it contains a ton of crude humor. In short, though, it's just not that funny. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below.

THE STORY: Every parent has been in Bob Munro's shoes. One minute, you're having a sweet heart-to-heart talk with your precious little girl, and the next, she's a snarky teenager calling you a dork. It's a situation that confirms Bob's (Robin Williams) suspicions – he's losing touch with his family. "We watch TV in four separate rooms and IM each other when dinner's ready," he complains to his wife.

Bob's solution? Road trip! He rents a hideous-looking RV and persuades his wife (Cheryl Hines of "Curb Your Enthusiasm") to give up their Hawaiian vacation and take their kids, Carl and Cassie (Josh Hutcherson and Joanna "JoJo" Levesque), to the Colorado Rockies on a road trip. Once there, they encounter a bizarre community of campers, including Travis (Jeff Daniels) and Marie Jo (Kristen Chenowith) Gornick, who live full time in their RV with their three, home-schooled children (Hunter Parrish, Chloe Sonnenfeld, Alex Ferris).

But Bob hasn't exactly been honest with his family. He's got business on his mind, and this trip is more than just a family vacation. Will they all come together in the name of family unity?

THE WRAP-UP: Robin Williams either hits the mark or misses it entirely. there are a few laughs in this movie, but overall, it's just not that funny. As for objectionable scenes, there are plenty:

The Munro kids are rude and resort to name-calling and condescending attitudes with their dad. At a party, a friend of Cassie's throws pop into the face of an adult and, later, Bob feigns an attempt to hit the girl with his car.

Also, men discuss chasing other men's wives, and several female characters expose their cleavage in tight tops. Jokes in the movie revolve around fecal matter, animal organs, mild sexual innuendo and prostitution as a profession. The script also includes lots of dangerous situations played for humor: The family narrowly misses a head-on collision with a semi truck, Bob clings to the front of a rolling RV and rides a bike downhill through a forest, and several characters fall down in a rushing stream. Wonderful.

BRINGING THE KIDS:

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): This movie contains too many innuendoes and crude jokes for little ones. Family-centric shows like "The Berenstain Bears" and "Arthur" are better suited for preschoolers.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): While this movie has everything grade-schoolers will love, including lots of crude humor and goofy physical comedy, most of it isn't appropriate for kids. The one bright spot is that the Munros do finally come together and realize they love each other.

TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): When it comes to living in a cyber-world, this movie is probably a little more true-to-life than most of us would like to admit. We're losing touch with each other, and it takes work to bring everyone back together. Bob's motives may be a little deceitful, but the resulting family harmony is a good thing. Tweens and teens will identify with pop star "Jo Jo" Levesque (most recently seen in "Aquamarine"), and maybe even learn something about connecting with their family in a world of cell phones and cyberspace. If they can get past all the stupid jokes, that is.

SCORE: 2 out of 4 Reels.

Jane's Reel Rating System:
One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t 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!

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