Un papá de sobra

You would expect that when the comic talents of Robin Williams and Billy Crystal are combined the results would be fairly amusing...unfortunately they are not. This is another failed attempt by Hollywood to Americanize a French movie which is everything that this film is not. One of the biggest problems with this film is that the boy is so unlikeable - probably a fault of both the script and the actor. You can't believe that anyone would care that this little idiot ran away from home, and that two people were desperate enough to be his father to chase after him. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss & Nastassja Kinski have very little to do in their respective roles, especially Kinski, whose role is more of a cameo than a role of any substance. The entire setting and story behind the boys disappearance is ridiculous, as is the sub-plot involving Kinski's husband trying to find the boy as well. The leads are just not up to scratch compared to their usual comic abilities. A real let down, and a total waste of time.

I just glanced at the title in the TV listing.. and for some reason read it as "Father of the Bride".. so I taped it. When I glanced at the listing again realized I was wrong and couldn't quite place it. When I came here to look it up, I realized WHY I forgot it.. If any movie with so much comic talent was ever FORGETABLE, this is it.

Perhaps, the producers should have gone the whole nine yards and cast Whoopee Goldberg as the scheming mom.. that would have made the circle complete.. but Whoopee had already made that film - with Ted Danson. And it was a lot funnier.

TO be fair, a lot of the dissatisfaction with the film is due exactly to Billy and Robin being featured. We expect more from them and, when the writing doesn't support the capabilities of the actors, the results are exactly what we see here: Mediocre schlock.

Since Reitman was the director, that lit a (Ghostbusters) bulb; I can see Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd doing a better job with it.. or even Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis.

Very flat and predictable story. Robin and Crystal do make an ideal on-screen duo. Too bad they chose this script to do it. They can't save this mess. There are some very funny parts, but it's overshadowed by a poor story. It seems like those two and Julia Dreyfuss are the only ones making an effort. Charlie Hofheimer was very annoying and the rest of the characters looked liked they'd rather be in another film.

A supposed big laugh was intended when Bruce Greenwood's character stepped into a Port-o-san, a truck backs into it, and it falls over into a ditch, implying that the interior is now flooded with human excrement, with him stuck inside. I have no aversion to gross-out toilet humor, but that is just not funny. From there the movie goes from going downhill (no pun intended) to a flat-out nosedive. I don't think I even lasted to the end.

I can only hope that these two immensely talented actors will try to work another film together, but please choose something a little less insulting. Normally this would score a four, but Crystal and Williams bump it up to a 5/10.

When do they stop americanizing Francis Veber productions? Again a good example for a remake that is much worse than the original: over-psychologized, killing one gag after the other - the charming elements are left out to not make the film exactly the same, and nothing is left. I like Billy Crystal and I bear Robin Williams but they are not equal to Gérard Depardieu and Pierre Richard. One day - I see it with horror - they're going to re-produce Louis de Funès-classics starring Jim Carrey!

Yeah, the plot's kinda lame and not too believable, but the stars are able to make it a fun time. In fact, the best moments are the ones that serve not to advance the story, but allow Williams and Crystal do their trademark acts.

Billy Crystal is a master of the non-response, such as when told that he has a 15 year old son, continuing to slowly drink his coffee. Robin Williams is the improv master. It's fun to guess which lines were written in the screenplay, and which ones just came from his head full of characters.

We know everything will turn out OK in the end, but there are enough unexpected twists and turns to keep the story interesting, and some pretty funny minor characters.