Tres hombres y un bebé

THREE MEN AND A BABY is one of the big beasts of Hollywood cinema of the 1980s. It's a simple story, one that's well executed by Leonard Nimoy in one of his forays behind the camera, and truth be told there's little to dislike about it as a film. It's basically Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, and Tom Selleck in an apartment looking after a baby.

You can guess the easy, laid back nature of the film in this film and it really is an easy viewing experience. Even a mildly suspenseful crime style sub-plot added to the proceedings never endangers the characters much or adds much in the way of real danger to the story. The three main actors are all charismatic and you can easily see why women would fall in love with them, although it's worth noting that the baby is the real scene stealer here.

THREE MEN AND A BABY frequently threatens to veer into cheesy sentimentality, particularly at the climax, but that it never becomes too overwhelming is testament to its success as a film.

To be real critic about this film is not so easy. Because it is nice and honest and predictable. Because it is build around three good comedy actors from legendary series and because it propose the high nightmare of many bachelors. So, it is real good. And like the wines, after decades it becomes better and better.

Obviously not the greatest comedy of all time, and though generally charming, it has few laugh out loud moments. That said, the performances and the direction are all decent. And, most importantly, it leaves you with a great big smile on your face. You can't ask for too much more than that.

Three bachelors have their lives flipped upside down when little baby Mary is left on their doorstep.

A remake of successful 1985 French film Three Men And A Cradle, this Hollywood version took the box office by storm to make a domestic profit of over $155,000,000. It's not hard to see why really. Yes it looks a touch twee now, and the irritating drug-smuggling sub-plot (also in the original) grows more tiresome with subsequent revisits. Yet it has a frothy cleanness so lacking in many more similar big budgeted movies that came after it. Starring Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg as the "no parenting skills" bachelors, Leonard Nimoy's film , (yes, Spock) sees quality interplay between the guys and some bona fide funny sequences as they in turn attempt to do right by Mary. Yep it's all telegraphed comedy, and the ending holds no surprises for anyone once Nancy Travis as Mary's mother comes back to claim the child. But come on folks, three beefy bachelors trying to change diapers and entertain a wailing baby has to be charming; surely? 7/10

Architect Peter Mitchell (Tom Selleck) has an ex in Rebecca (Margaret Colin). Michael Kellam (Steve Guttenberg) is a sensitive cartoonist. Jack Holden (Ted Danson) is a playboy actor. The three bachelors happily share a Manhattan penthouse with a long line of women coming in and out. Then somebody leaves a baby at their doorstep. A note indicates that Mary is the result of an union between Jack and Sylvia (Nancy Travis). Jack is away doing a TV movie. Peter and Michael are forced to deal with the baby. Jack has a package of drugs delivered to the apartment which is to be picked up by two men. Peter and Michael mistakenly assume the baby to be the package. Narcotics officer Sgt. Melkowitz (Philip Bosco) come to question the guys.

The combination of the three stars makes this work. Selleck is terrific. This has good comedy and some awkward stuff. I can do without the heroin. It takes the movie down a dark alley. The tone is completely wrong. I would have liked more with Rebecca and Sylvia doesn't need to be British. Overall, it's a mix bag with some laughs.