Are We Done Yet?
Funny and familiar.
Review by Sr. Guapo

"Are We Done Yet?" is the sort of comedy most people might recommend to their parents because it's filled to the brim with jokes and sight gags that don't feel obscene and a comfortable plot and protagonists. It's probably not the sort of film most people under 20 would choose to watch at a theater, but it is safe for those with kids who want a family night at the movies. In short, it's a nice flick that the cool kids won't like until they stop being cool and that most critics will slam because they have their reputations to maintain and those stars they hand out don't come cheap.

Ice Cube plays Nick Persons, the same character he was in "Are We There Yet?" (this movie's predecessor). One year has passed since the events in the previous film, and he's now married to his girlfriend from the original feature. They're living in his apartment and, as the movie opens, he's coming to the realization that his new dream of starting a magazine won't ever happen if he can't find some space to concentrate. When the morning routine starts ahead of schedule-just after he sits down in front of his laptop-and he ends up dressed in eggs and pizza sauce, he snaps. It's poor timing, because his new wife has some news: their family is about to expand.

Nick decides that a new house is in order. With money he saved up and an advance a company provided for his magazine venture, he invests in a dream house in the country. Five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a private commode and a guest house where he can kick start his project are features too perfect to pass up, and before long the family is working to settle into its new home.

Of course, that's where the problems begin. If you've seen the trailers, you already know to expect a lot of slapstick humor. Nick tries to go fishing when he really shouldn't, tries to chase away a raccoon that loves Corn Nuts and even does his best to befriend a pleasant chipmunk, all with amusing results. You've seen this sort of stuff on the screen before, but here it works better than usual because it's so easy to sympathize with Nick. Even when he's behaving like an ass, he has good reason to do so and you want to see him succeed.

Ice Cube isn't alone in making the picture work, either. The supporting cast is perfect for a movie like this, from the bratty daughter who wants to be independent to the endearing wife who wants a nice home but isn't going to stress about it to the extent her husband does. Perhaps the most important addition to the cast is John C. McGinley (of television's "Scrubs"). He adds the off-key character the story needed to really stand on its own feet. His name is Chuck Mitchell, Jr. and he's the real estate agent.

As it turns out, he's also the only licensed and bonded contractor in the area. That's something Nick soon comes to appreciate as his dream home falls apart around him, the victim of faulty wiring, plumbing, termites and dry rot (not to mention other unwanted houseguests that drive Nick absolutely batty). Chuck also happens to have experience in just about every pursuit you can imagine, including but not limited to midwifery. That's a sticking point for Nick, who feels inadequate as he tries to comfort his family while dealing with disaster at every turn.

With so many distractions, it's a wonder Nick ever gets anything done. Therein lays the film's beauty. It took the simple and obvious premise and turned it into something worth watching all over again. Even if you've already laughed your way through movies like "Funny Farm" or any number of John Candy pictures, "Are We There Yet?" will manage to tickle your funny bone at a reasonable rate. Infrequent moments of sappy sentimentality even work because it's hard not to care for people that make you laugh so often. When the hour and a half runtime reaches its conclusion, you might not find yourself a wiser or cooler person, but you'll have laughed quite a bit and you'll be smiling. That counts for a lot.

Final Score: 4/5