Produced by Shawn Levy, Ben Myron, Robert Simonds. Cast: Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Piper Perabo. Tom Welling, Hilary Duff, Kevin Schmidt, Alyson Stoner, Jaime King. Carmen Electra, Eugene Levy, Brent Kinsman, Shane Kinsman, Taylor Lautner. With a different director to the first, extremely-cheap-in-life-values, Cheaper by the Dozen (2003), this sequel helmed by Adam Shankman (The Pacifier,) is funnier in both broad and subtle ways and less contrived, though still having large helpings of spongy sentimentality. The characterizations are more varied and fleshed out (as opposed to mere sketched clichés) and there is more substance to the story, while the broad physical comedy so beloved by Steve Martin fans is still there. At least this time Tom Baker (Martin) actually gets to grow and change (instead of capitulating to his kids’ emotional blackmail) by the end. It’s obvious Tom needs an awful lot of practice at being a good dad. In the first film he obviously hadn’t learned how to stop or put any boundaries. In this film he learns to let go, both of juvenile rivalry and competitiveness towards the dad of another large brood Jimmy Murtaugh (Eugene Levy), and of his children. Eventually. The family has grown up some. Eldest daughter Norah (Piper Perabo) is married and pregnant, and about to move to Houston with husband Bud (Jonathan Bennett). Lorraine has graduated High School and is about to take up a fashion internship in New York. In panic at this diaspora, Tom convinces them all to have a final holiday together at Lake Winnetka, where twins Nigel and Kyle were conceived - a fact commemorated in one having the middle name Lake and the other, Winnetka. Like the first film mom Kate (Bonnie Hunt) seems the most relaxed of all, invariably smiling with genuine warmth though apparently without doing any actual mothering beyond literally throwing the kids their food and organizing one daughter to counsel another. All the kids seem less monstrous. At the Lake is Jimmy Murtaugh, Tom’s old rival from school and previous lake vacations, now owning most of its real estate and proudly showing off his (third) trophy wife Sarina (Carmen Electra), and his eight, high-achieving, super-disciplined kids. The contrast in parenting styles fuels mutual criticism and show-down challenges, and both the highly competitive fathers marshal their troops for an annual family athletic competition on the lake. There is a long list of funny moments that work very well. Watch for the diabolical young Sarah’s (Alyson Stoner) chaos-mongering handiwork, this time in collusion with dad along with a clause of no repercussions in terms of punishment (although we know the Bakers and ideas of punishment are only vaguely acquainted). It involves a big dog, a meat-filled seat cushion, and a long, elegantly laid dinner table with priceless dinnerware given to Jimmy Murtaugh by the King of Thailand. The subplot involving Sarah and her first crush, on Eliot Murtaugh (Taylor Lautner), is sweetly handled and has some cringe-worthy parental errors of judgement. Some cogent points are made and the rest is swept up in the comedy in a way that almost forgives the major sentimental treatment. This film has a feel of being handled with far more confidence and relaxation than the first, which means that you can relax and enjoy how these very different but equally bumbling fathers learn from their kids how to do their jobs, not perfectly, but well. Especially the bit of letting one’s children grow up and leave the nest. © Avril Carruthers 20th December 2005
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