Cheaper by the Dozen

Is anybody else getting tired of doofus dad comedies? I'm pretty sure I've seen every emasculating joke possible concerning stereotypically incompetent men left home alone with their kids. But here's Cheaper by the Dozen anyway: a loose remake of a 1950 laffer about a huge turn-of-the-century family headed by a stern efficiency expert, this update modifies the father (Steve Martin plays the football-coach dad) but keeps the 12 kids, serving up multiple helpings of the same old themes of clueless parents and kiddie chaos. When Mom (Bonnie Hunt) lands a book contract, but is given a contrived ultimatum ("If there's no book tour, there's no book"), Dad is left in charge just as he's struggling to meet the demands of a new big-college coaching job. From this point on, the film goes everywhere you'd expect, from cooking disasters to barf gags to run-ins with uptight preppie neighbors to trite life lessons, with the whole shebang wrapped up in an impossibly neat little bundle of family warmth and harmony just as soon as the grownups get back in touch with their priorities. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions, two audio commentaries (one by director Shawn Levy; the other a “Kids Commentary” by five of the young “Baker” family costars--with selected scene commentary by costar Piper Perabo), the five-minute “Director's Viewfinder: Creating a Fictional Family” featurette, five “Orphans” deleted/extended scenes (8 min.) with optional commentary by Levy, and trailers. Bottom line: the double format offering on one disc is a plus, and the extras package is not bad for this undistinguished remake.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—Nov. 15, 2005—Fox, 98 min., PG, $19.98—Making its second appearance on DVD, 2003's Cheaper by the Dozen (Baker's Dozen Edition) features a nice transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras new to this edition are an extended “Director's Viewfinder” featurette (15 min.), six never-before-seen deleted/extended scenes (12 min.), a “Critters” featurette on animals in the film (12 min.), the in-depth scene featurettes “Frogs & Eggs” (8 min.) and “Dylan's Birthday” (8 min.), two storyboard comparisons (3 min.), a scene from the upcoming sequel Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: lame to begin with, this release is solely designed to pump up business for the sequel.]