MOVIE REVIEW

Daddy Day Care  (2003)

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Angelica Huston
Director: Steve Carr

Rating: PG

Studio: Columbia

Release Date: 5.09.03

Review Posted: 6.11.03

Spoilers: Minor

Reviewed by Lee Tistaert

"Daddy Day Care" Diverts Attention, Yet is Clichéd and Predictable

This is a tough one. I’ve seen good films and I’ve seen bad films; Daddy Day Care isn’t really in either category; I walked in slightly fearful but came out happy since it could’ve been far worse. While I did have a reasonably enjoyable time, there were factors that bothered me.

This is a film that from the beginning stages has too much of a good-natured energetic spark to dislike. In fact, despite the script giving in to purely child humor at several spots, I was actually moderately entertained for most of the duration. But with any film geared toward a family audience, we all very well know that chances are clichés will be used down the road and the script’s message will be hammered into our heads as if it’s “Sesame Street” all over again.

As light movie going fare like it sets out to be, Daddy Day Care misses the official reasonable mark by a slight margin; it so wants to win over approval, but has a few inches of dead weight holding it back. I did laugh numerous times throughout and was consistently engaged; however, to call this a job well done in filmmaking could be considered a little out-there in reasoning. The script is actually a notch above where I was anticipating, and the actors do a good job of making the screenplay feel even better with their performances.

That’s not to say it’s necessarily well acted either, but let’s just put it this way: Daddy Day Care had the makings of a possibly annoying experience, and turned out to be somewhat of a guilty pleasure. It ran on too familiar of a formula, but that didn’t stop me from giving in to a smile every now and then, along with a few good laughs. I only kicked and screamed with one or two scenes in the "Why oh why?" division, which for these flicks can be a good sign. Daddy Day Care may be far from a Shrek experience, but it’s too friendly to really dislike with passion.

I found myself somewhat in the same position as for Final Destination 2; the film kept my attention all the way through, yet the lack of originality restricted me from going the whole nine yards and claiming it as an entirely worthy production, if not just a sufficient one (B-). There’s entertainment to be had and it doesn’t try to be anymore more than it is, but in the end you might ask for more to digest. A film like Daddy Day Care doesn’t exactly expect you to anticipate exciting discussions afterward.

Eddie Murphy plays Charlie Hinton, a husband/father obsessed with his work, which involves marketing children’s food products. When his division at work is laid off, Hinton is faced with the challenge of finding another job; however, with his detachment from his kid (at home) due to the long work hours previously, Charlie realizes there may be an easy answer right in front of him. He and work buddy, Phil (Jeff Garlin), get together and decide to test run a new idea - a Daddy Day Care center for the neighborhood. Destined to fail by the means of common sense, we know through the book of film rules, and yes, the title, that all will be well, allowing for comedy to flow via all the tactics that go horribly wrong.

With this first step the film has a major disadvantage in possibly growing redundant in gags if all crashes and burns, as one would ponder that there’s only so many fresh ways the screenwriter can introduce to retrieve persistent amusement. Sure, the premise might be a little fun but keeping it going for 90 minutes without tiring out audiences over the age of 10 is the big benchmark. Daddy Day Care itself isn’t a benchmark in its own right, but let me say that I’m grateful for having been able to witness the entire film without even the faintest desire to leave the theater auditorium.

Having seen The Wild Thornberrys (C-), Spirited Away (C), and Lilo & Sitch (C-) on DVD, I was very pleased that I had not taken the theater route on those. My willingness to keep my eyes centered on those stories the whole way through was not present, forcing me to admit that if I were to have turned any of them off midway through I wouldn’t have cared if I had missed the climax. With Daddy Day Care I knew what was going to happen, and while it drives on a very predictable path it’s summer fare that can actually please people (to some degree) over age 10, which can be a solid note on its own.

Where Lilo pleased a lot of moviegoers in a cute fashion, I happened to be an exception. The flick was too silly for me and came off like a standard Saturday morning cartoon. The animation was not special and the script permitted average humor to be attached to the characters. Though Emperor’s New Groove (B) was a very silly comedy that I admired, the humor was not on a level that would exclusively please the toddlers in the room; the voice work was also very inspired, giving the sometimes witty and quirky dialogue extra life. Daddy Day Care sticks to an ongoing formula in its laughter, and while that can be a fearful object to anticipate beforehand, the actors permit the experience to be tolerable.

Though there were components of Daddy Day Care that I enjoyed, such as its loose fun feel and enthusiastic spark, the film is far from original. The script tosses in elements regarding the detachment of family with the cornball factor thrown in, and puts to use the classic children’s movie cliché of the evil villain lady who must put a stop to everything at once. In this case it is Anjelica Huston, the founder of a competing day care service whose child members are gradually being won over by the new Daddy Day Care, vanishing from her unit.

The film would’ve been nicer without all the kids’ movie trademarks attached, but then again we sometimes have to remind ourselves of the times we’re living in; as we’re not always going to have films aimed to completely please every moviegoer in the room. But even with those complaints at discussion, the film is not as bad as it could’ve sunk to. The film actually builds to various moments of solid amusement even if it isn’t the ideal Saturday night out in the town type of flick.

I appreciated that Jeff Garlin was not abused and forced to resort to material that embarrassed his talent from Curb Your Enthusiasm, but it was a little letdown that Steve Zahn, a friend of the characters in the fable, was not taken advantage of to his potential. Zahn produced a few good laughs from me in the beginning stretch of the flick but in the end his persona doesn’t rise up to be anything memorable.

Would I recommend Daddy Day Care to everyone? No, but it’s likely to entertain many folks out there and even outside the bracket of young kids. With my show on opening weekend consisting of mostly 20-30 year olds, the audience was obviously being entertained with the reactions exerted and hinted toward some possibly decent legs throughout its run.

Despite being labeled as a family diversion, there are things to like in this production. The film doesn’t wimp out in the script as much as it could’ve with humor exclusively geared toward toddlers. Clichéd and predictable, Daddy Day Care is the type of flawed feature that can divert attention, but it probably will not fulfill a Saturday night.

Rating: 2 out of 4

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