Johnson Family Vacation

Review by: Lancelot

lancelot@tcats.com

Upon viewing the opening credits of Johnson Family Vacation flashing across the movie screen combined with the R&B flavored beats, melodies, and vocal chords and cool, playful graphics, this film initially showed hopes of delivering an entertaining trip (no pun intended!!). However, it only gave me glimpses of what could have been.

Johnson Family Vacation is a comedic adventure that explores the spirited personalities of a bickering African-American family of five as they endure a long journey from California to Missouri. It is certainly a film that all can relate to! Cedric The Entertainer (Nate Johnson) and the absolutely gorgeous, Vanessa Williams (Dorothy Johnson) play a recently separated couple that try to work past their differences for the sake of their children and the annual Johnson Family Reunion in Missouri. The infamous family reunion is actually more of a direct competition between feuding brothers, Nate and Mack Johnson (who is humorously played by master comedian, Steve Harvey) for the renowned Johnson Family Reunion Family of the Year award. All the respective kin participate in all sorts of fun activities such as the wheelbarrow and potato sack race, talent show, and a few others. Whichever family winds up with the most points at the conclusion of the last event wins. En route to Missouri, the Johnson Family find themselves caught up in all sorts of circumstances on highways, restaurants, hotels, and of course, car troubles (in a souped-up Lincoln Navigator, thanks to 310 Motoring, no doubt!).

A wonderful and very talented cast supports the collaborative efforts of feature film debuts for both the director (Christopher Erskin) and screenwriter brothers, Earl Richey Jones and Todd R. Jones. Solange Knowles (Beyonce's real life sister) plays the teenage Nikki Johnson, the eldest sibling who is artsy, beautiful, and sassy, Bow Wow (D.J. Johnson) is the little brother who among many things, wants to start his own line of hip-hop kids' pajamas while trying to school his old-fashioned pops about the world of hip-hop, and Gabby Soleil (Destiny Johnson) is the sweet and innocent youngest who affectionately is constantly losing "sight" of her imaginary dog.

I have to admit; there were a few scenes that I found to be extremely funny. Particularly, the Jacuzzi scene with Cedric The Entertainer in his birthday suit, the bathroom scene at Big Bun World, Nate and Mack Johnson taking turns repeatedly blessing the food for the numerous and apparently very hungry, Johnson family, and the talent show which displayed both brothers' respective families choreographed performances. Yet, I discovered that there wasn't enough continuity in this film to make it a consummate comedy about a family trek cross-country. Unfortunately, it missed the mark by a lot!

Specifically, the hitchhiker scenes (which featured Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie 1 & 2, Scary Movie), did not exactly tickle any funny bones here. I have to

say that there were many parts of this movie where it seems the dialogue or just the direction of this movie just ran out of gas before the scenes even got started. I feel that Johnson Family Vacation should have taken more risks and been more thoroughly scripted to truly take advantage of a seemingly talented ensemble of veteran and novice actors.

One would think that I should aim these bold criticisms at the cast but, in this case, I'm not. The blame is focused elsewhere. I believe that stronger and perhaps more experienced direction and a more balanced screenplay would have given this film the adrenaline it desperately needed. I would have taken advantage of some of the scenes in this movie to make it more playful yet still be able to give credibility to the Johnson Family squabbling.

One could also argue that maybe Steve Harvey should have been cast as Nate Johnson and the incredibly talented, Bernie Mac as Mack Johnson "” ¦ we'll never know. Either way, I think that the director and the screenwriters put forth their best effort and they will persevere from this experience. Unfortunately, there were just too many times throughout Johnson Family Vacation in which I found myself wanting or even waiting to laugh instead of simply being made to laugh. There are just too many aspects of a family traveling for a couple thousand miles for hilarious situations not to be brought to light consistently.

Movie Grade: C+