Yours, Mine & Ours

It's that time of year again. You know, the time when Hollywood releases its family movies about 160 kids living under one roof and two willing parents. Cheaper by the Dozen is a prime example, and surprise, surprise, look for the sequel to that family fun hitting theaters this December. You really have to pick and choose with these, is this one worth seeing; does it present any originality is the question.

Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo were high school sweethearts who meet a hundred years later and find they still wanna tango under the sheets, the only problem is they have eighteen kids between them. This causes them to move into a huge rundown lighthouse where the chaos begins and the family's clash, as they try every physically comedical tactic to ruin eachothers lives. Then they decide to attack their parents to break them up and return to two families, doing so they continue to create a warzone.

Physical comedy is always a plus, this one ain't to shy of all that. Starts off a little slow, and you want to keep those kids tuned in, so keep that juggling going. Once we jump into the plot, which doesn't take too long to establish, we have an interesting story that can put Cheaper by the Dozen spin offs to rest, because that's the biggest issue with this movie. This is about formulating a family with two backgrounds, one being under the control of a militant father with obsessive hygiene, the other a free spirited liberated unit.

There's an interesting conflict that creates a lot of energy and not a lot of time to think about it, which is good because as soon as you have time to sit around and think critically on these Nickelodeon flicks, your mind wanders outside the film. The slapstick will tickle the little ones and have those leaving the theatre on a good note, but most of all have them loving their family and appreciative of the siblings they have, because it's all about the big moral right? No, not really, but this one has a good message and entertains quite well.

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 I am sad to report was beat to the punch already by Yours, mine & ours, which features two conflicting families in that one, so just when you thought this one might run dry, the tables turn and now Steve Martin better turn on that Saturday Night Live switch to make his sequel a must see. This isn't about competition though, so for now I suggest go watch this one with the young ones and bring your whole family too!

Movie Grade: B

Synopsis:

A widowed Coast Guard Admiral and a widow handbag designer fall in love and marry, much to the dismay of her 10 and his 8 children.