Recipe for Disaster

Small kids will love this movie for its simply storyline and slapstick silliness, but it's entertaining enough that parents should enjoy watching it too. The headflip into a bucket by the villian that another reviewer mentioned is pretty incredible to see. A restaurant critic who has a number of scenes in various disguises is also quite entertaining. It's refreshing to see a simple predictable film that's well performed once in a while. This film exemplifies just how a "G" rating and an obviously low budget can still entertaining for everyone.

(One warning, though . . . you may have to caution your kids about playing around in the kitchen or in the electrical fuse box after they watch this movie.) :o)

This movie does not break any new ground -- but it does offer some great characters and some unbounded silliness. The writing is clever, the camera work is skilled, but the performances from the ensemble are what make the movie work. John Laroquette shines as always, the kids are adorable, and Bill Dawes as the archvillian across the street does some physical comedy on par with Jim Carrey. In particular, check out the single camera shot of him flipping headfirst into a bucket.

This movie is a series of slapstick gags mostly set within a restaurant. The first half seems quite mean-spirited and uninvolving, while the second half does capture a spirit of zaniness that makes it watchable if not very enjoyable.

Margo Harshman and Michelle Brookhurst do a good job as the protagonist and antagonist and can look forward hopefully to better things. John Larraquette and Leslie Ann Warren have done better things and hopefully will look on this as the low point of their distinguished careers.

I think the target audience for the film is kids 8-12 years old. They might enjoy some of it. Adults will be bored rather than amused.

Home Alone crossed with Spy Kids but set at a brand new gourmet restaurant. My grandchildren and I enjoyed it immensely on a rainy Saturday afternoon. As a former chef I much appreciated the antics of the kids as they tried to make up for their missing parents at the restaurant's opening, meanwhile fending off the evil doings of a rival restaurant, while dealing with fussy customers and imperious restaurant critics. John Larroqutte does his usual masterful job as does Leslie Ann Warren, as his wife. The kids are marvelous, going from sibling hatred to grudging respect as they are forced to team up to try to save the day for the family. William Propp's script offers more comic twists than a pushcart pretzel.

Today is November 13, 2005, and I just saw this movie for the first time on PAX TV. I really enjoyed the movie and so did my kids. Its nice to see a movie like this for a change where the family pulls together for a common cause. Again, we all really enjoyed it. As a sort of side note, we also enjoy John Laroquette in the new series that he did on the Hallmark TV channel entitled McBride - there is a series of movies - all two hour specials where he plays McBride - a Defense Attorney looking out for the underdog. I think that Laroquette was stereotyped when he did the Night Court TV series - and that was a shame. He really is such a good actor - and this movie and the McBride series really bring out his acting abilities.