Cheaper By The Dozen 2 (2005)

Cheaper By The Dozen 2 (2005)

5/10

Starring

Steve Martin

Eugene Levy

Bonnie Hunt

Tom Welling

Piper Perabo

Hilary Duff

Directed by Adam Shankman

This second take on the Baker family in Cheaper By The Dozen 2 lacked much of what made the first movie quite interesting enough to rewatch. I remember back then not liking this movie much and seeing it again I can see why.

It was almost predictable to the core and it is because this movie used the same formula used in the first movie. In the first movie it starts with an intro to the big family, then the slapstick comedy follows. Then there is chaos with Steve Martin’s character Tom at the center of it and then it just settles to a family working together to overcome.

Like in the first Cheaper by the Dozen, Tom (Steve Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt) are the parents of twelve children. After the relocation almost cracked their family (Bakers), by the end of the the first movie they bonded and overcame.

Now the Bakers have another new challenge and it is the Murtaughs.

The Murtaughs are led by parents Jimmy (Eugene Levy) and Sarina (Carmen Elektra) who have eight children. It so happens when the Bakers went on a vacation all of them together for what Tom thought will be the last time all of them will be able to be together, they met the Murtaughs who are also on vacation at the same lake.

Jimmy always sees a reason to show off his wealth and to always let Tom know that his children are more successful because his parenting style supersedes that of Tom.

Tom not wanting to let Jimmy win, any time there is an opportunity to best Jimmy he takes it, which usually leads to the slapstick comedy in this movie. How the trip which was meant to bring the family together break them up and how it eventually ends with Tom’s rivalry with Jimmy is what this movie is about.

This time Shawn Levy was not directing he instead was at the producer seat, and although they pulled everyone into the single issue of any character the movie lost the charm of the twelve. It was more about the Tom and Jimmy character. Their rivalry dominated this movie to the point that everyone else seem to be screaming for attention.

This movie is a big yawn in comparison to the first movie and I want to believe that the bad critical reviews with a box office earnings just equaling double what the movie budget was is why this movie never got a third part under Fox Film Corp. Now that Disney owns Fox and their movie archive, Disney may end up doing a reboot.

Anyways, if you interested in a family fun movie the first movie offers much of that, this movie becomes boring after the slapstick ended and the seriousness of family bonding comes in.