|
By
WAYNE KLEIN
There's some sort of
perverse logic at work in the universe when Steve
Martin (who has no children and isn't currently
married) can play a dad and husband so
convincingly on screen. Ditto Bonnie Hunt although
after their experience in "Cheaper by the Dozen"
they may not be regretting that decision. This
remake of the 1950's comedy classic updates the
story considerably but manages bring a number of
charming moments of its own to the screen.
"Cheaper by the Dozen" is the latest in a long
string of family geared comedies to feature
Martin. He's certainly come a long way since "The
Jerk." Martin and Bonnie Hunt play Tom and Kate
Baker who luckily don't have a Baker's dozen in
their house hold. Mom's managed to hold it
together for a long time while dad had his career
coaching football. Now mom's returned to her first
love; she's written a book about their clan. With
a new book coming out, a new job for dad coaching
football at a local university and a major move
four hours away from their idyllic home in farm
country, culture and family shock sets in. While
mom's away talking to her publisher about her
book, Dad's challenged with a pretentious new
boyfriend for his eldest daughter and family chaos
about to erupt.
"Cheaper by the Dozen" manages to be both clever
and just wholesome enough viewing for the family.
The writers (including Joel Cohen of "The
Ladykillers" and "Fargo" fame) sprinkle just the
right amount of insanity on this comedic
concoction to make it turn out like a perfectly
baked cake; the level of comic insanity rises the
longer this comedy cooks. Stocked with a strong
cast featuring TV vets Tom Welling ("Smallville")
and Hilary Duff ("The Hilary Duff Show") and great
character actors, "Dozen" doesn't coast on the
charm of the actors alone. With scenes like the
vomit slip-and-slide scene and where the oldest
girl's new boyfriend discovers what happens when
his underwear is soaked in meat (it ain't
pleasant), "Dozen" has just enough of everything
to tickle almost everyone's funny bone.
"Dozen" by no means looks cheap. Great transfer on
both the widescreen and pan and scan versions of
the film. The sharp transfer allows the viewer to
keep up with the blurring motion as another child
hurtles by doing something outrageous. The crisp,
bright colors and the sunny outdoor scenes look
almost vivid enough to be right outside your own
front window. The 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround mix
distributes comic insanity equally well between
all the speakers making particularly good use of
the rear ones. It feels like one of those Baker
kids are sneaking up on you.
As if a dozen kids wasn't enough you want extras?
There aren't a dozen of them but there's plenty to
keep viewers entertained. The "Director's
Viewfinder" featurette has a number of funny
moments as we get to view things behind the scenes
on the set. Yes, everyone appears chummy but what
were they like in real life? You'll have to wait
for the commentary section to find that out. We
also get deleted and extended scenes not including
the very funny outtakes that are run during the
credits. The twin boys (Brent and Shane Kinsman)
are a riot and, yes folks, they're true to life.
The outtakes where the director tries to get the
boys to act grumpy with the promise that they can
go outside and play is almost worth the price of
admission alone.
The film's director clearly wanted to give the
audience an opportunity to parent these twelve
children. Their all featured on the commentary
track and there's just enough family insanity and
gibberish to make you feel like you're in the
characters' home. Listen to the director's funny,
frank commentary if you want to be entertained. If
you want to simulate having twelve children in
your home by all means focus on the "Baker Kids
Commentary" track. It'll give you gray hairs just
listening to it. Trust me on this.
A very funny comedy that's appropriate for most of
the family . There are a couple of minor swear
words and a "sleep over" by the oldest girl's
boyfriend -played by Ashton Kutcher -- that might
be inappropriate for some family members. "Cheaper
by the Dozen" uncovers the real reason Steve
Martin went prematurely gray. For those parents
trying to maintain a two career household,
children and sanity, or for those contemplating
it, "Cheaper by the Dozen" offers a taste of what
could be in store for you. |
