CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN directed by Shawn Levy, written by Craig Titley, Joel Cohen, Sam Harper and Alec Sokolow, with Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Hilary Duff and Ashton Kutcher. A 20th Century Fox production. 99 minutes. Opens Thursday (December 25). Rating: NN
Rating: NN
Steve martin stars in a slavish remake of the super-square 1950 movie. Father to a brood of 12 children ranging from age sullen to twee, he flips out when wife Bonnie Hunt starts working and his own coaching job gets hectic. Directed like an expensive sitcom, Cheaper By The Dozen follows the Daddy Day Care formula: men are just hopeless when it comes to kids!
Ashton Kutcher turns out to be the best thing here, playing an aspiring model/actor doting on his stubble and his prized Chrysler LeBaron. He’s a reminder of how funny Steve Martin used to be when he wasn’t so desperate to win over middle America.
dubwise@sympatico.ca
