“Are We Done Yet” (Sony Pictures)
It’s A Clean Family Film
“Are We Done Yet” is a sequel of sorts to the movie “Are We There Yet” It is also a remake of the Cary Grant film of the forties “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.” This combination of styles makes for a disjointed movie – for adults. For kids, it is a clean movie with enough laughs to keep them entertained.
In the film Ice Cube plays Nick Persons. He is happily married to Suzanne (Nia Long) and stepfather to her kids, Lindsey and Kevin (Aleisha Allen and Phillip Bolden). When Suzanne announces she is pregnant Nick decides it is time to move the family to the suburbs and a bigger house.
They find a suitable home and decide to buy it even though it is a “fixer upper.” Their real estate agent is a man named Charles Mitchell (John C McGinley). Later he returns as their repairman, and a city councilman. He does a little bit of everything and nothing too good.
The comedy in the movie comes about by all the things that go wrong with the house. There is dry rot, bats, bad plumbing and a pesky raccoon. Nick get exasperated time and time again. Then there is the fun of seeing the kids have a great time at their stepfather’s expense.
Ice Cube is a fairly good actor and was actually funny in “Are We There Yet” But in this movie he is lifeless and lackadaisical. He has no energy and his chemistry with his co-stars is below par. Long also doesn’t add much to the film as Suzanne, but both kids make a valiant effort to introduce some humor into the goings on. McGinley overacts and gets tiresome fast.
The film is rated PG for mild profanity.
The fact the movie is clean is the main reason to see it. You can take the kids and not worry about anything. Plus they will think a man falling through the roof or chasing a raccoon is the stuff of hilarity. They won’t even mind that McGinley overacts to high heaven.
If you are looking for a clean family film, well this one fills the bill. If you are looking for a good comedy, then you should go elsewhere. Ice Cube and company are not the funniest people to entertain you in this movie. They have been before and they may be again but not this time.
If you end up taking the kids to see it you may be asking, “Are we done yet” before the movie is over.
I scored “Are We Done Yet” an overdone 4 out of 10.
