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Parental Guidance is a pretty decent family comedy about bridging the generation gap, and the process of re-building relationships that have been neglected for a very long time.

It is obvious to me that neither Billy Crystal or Bette Midler get too many good movie roles nowadays, and I think you can clearly see their joy at being back in the limelight in starring roles. They deliver strong performances and have great timing, and it is a pity that the source material is so weak to begin with. The basic plot is okay with me, but some of the comedy is far-fetched and grandchild Barker's bizarre behavior is used as an excuse for comedy too many times.

I liked a couple of scenes, which deal with the pressure of constantly keeping up with the technological advances of this day and age, with Artie losing his job because he doesn't tweet or know what an app is. This is a very relevant issue and unfortunately it is lightly dealt with.

All in all, the plot is thoroughly predictable and the points the movie wishes to make are obvious to all without any hint of subtlety, but the strong acting performances saves it from being a train wreck.

When I read the reviews by the "experts" online I didn't want to see this movie. However, my three granddaughters 16, 13 and 10 insisted they wanted to see it on the recommendation from some friends. I am happy they did. It was much better than the professional reviews led me to believe. I would recommend that any parent or grandparent, as in my case, take take their kids to see this movie.

I will say this about the expert reviews, they helped give us excellent seats. Sometimes I wonder if they have lost touch with what movie goers want to see. They have gotten to wrapped up in the technique of the art to be able to recognize a good movie. Maybe the courses on movie making should modify their guidelines to include what the general public considers a good movie.

Alice Simmons (Marisa Tomei) is somewhat estranged from her parents (Billy Crystal, Bette Midler). When her husband Phil (Tom Everett Scott)'s work takes them away, she's forced to ask her parents to look after her kids (Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf).

I like Billy Crystal and Bette Midler. I like their chemistry. I like their 'old fashion' ways. But some really stupid scenes destroy any chance this movie had. Grumpy Billy Crystal has some funny moments. Bette Midler is likable as the peacemaker. But by the middle of the movie, they just piled on one too many ridiculous premise to accept, and the movie falls apart.

Very cute movie, worth to watch. Billy was very funny

"Parental Guidance" is meant to be a comedy on the generational gap in parenting techniques but Billy Crystal completely steals the movie with his smooth and silky talking. Billy Crystal, acknowledging that he is the attraction of the senior crowd, embodies the fuddled grandpa trying to understand the softness of the suburban life but at the same time vying for his youth. As clichéd as "use your words" has become of modern parenting, Billy Crystal is the one who uses his words expertly and elevates the movie from being another generic family movie.

In regards to the modern methods of parenting techniques, there are two opposites of parenting presented: first, the red haired Russian shrieking "practice, practice, practice" method; and second, the soft version of baseball where no-one given out method intended so that there is no ugly competition and just good clean fun. The first type is deemed to produce uptight children and the second type deemed to produce stuttering, diffident children or children with imaginary friends. So, it is up to the grandparents to come in to the picture and sort this out. The solution of course, you might have guessed, fun in its various forms; feel good but not a real answer or revelation.

Without Billy Crystal, this movie would probably end up like every other movie in the same mold; the shrieking screaming kids running around in a McMansion with busy stressed out parents with one hand managing the kids and with the other hand managing their jobs; the parents desperately in need a change to solve their problems. Throughout the movie, Billy Crystal is relaxed and smooth talking and first provides the calmness to the dizzying hyperactivity of the family and then sparkle with his comedy to take us through the predictable second half.

Overall, it's a generic family movie but elevated by Billy Crystal. However, it's still a movie bogged down by its uninspired family dynamics.

My expectations weren't that high and Parental Guidance failed to meet them.

Bette Midler got the very few good lines, but other than that I was in turns bored or irritated. Bored because Billy Crystal never shuts up when he's on-screen. Irritated because I fail to see how bratty kids are funny. It's just an old, tired cliché from every sitcom from the last forty years.

Especially annoying was Marisa Tomei's helicopter-mother character. It was a cartoon character with no redeeming qualities.

I found myself wishing I sneak into whatever was playing next door.

This movie is very sweet and cute. There are parts that are a little ridiculous, but then, so is life. I'm a movie buff from film noir to recent masterpieces, but sometimes you just need to watch something light and wholesome and you've found it here. It's a funny comment on new parenting styles and how grandparents struggle to cope and assimilate. Overall just a delightful way to spend a few hours. And as usual Midler and Tomei perfect!

Best part of the movie was definitely Billie and Bette, and I thought 90% of the kid scenes were really cringy and could have been a lot better

This was an excellent family movie, had plenty of laughs and some really heartwarming moments. Billy Crystal and Bette Midler made a great pairing, I don't know why it hadn't been done before. Crystal brings his great acerbic wit combined with Midler's warm demeanor and the great comedic timing of both makes for gold medal hilarity. Marisa Tomei is great as a new-age parent with high anxiety when it comes to allowing her parents into her automated life. Bailee Madison is a little fireball, and she is one to keep an eye on. With her innate acting ability she will have you on the edge of tears one moment and laughing till you pee the next. Madison is an absolute joy to watch and it was great to see her paired up with classic comedic talent like Crystal and Midler. The writing is fair, but luckily with such a well-placed cast you hardly notice those short-comings. This is definitely one I would take the whole family to, it's got enough for all to enjoy. I highly recommend it for the holiday season, it will have you walking out with a smile.

From what I have witnessed, this movie is delightful. I haven't watch a film such as this in a very long while. The story itself puts so much family fun and creativity into it that it made me smile and laugh joyously from start to finish (not many movies can give me such a reaction). It was good-hearted and simple, and sometimes simplicity is the best way to go. The soundtrack itself was unique for this current generation of filmmaking. I felt like I was in a movie made ten years ago (that of which I really enjoyed); it felt nostalgic yet modern. Again, it isn't the type of movie to get all "thrilled" about. It honestly is a nice feature to sit down and relax with the whole family, and to be completely reassuring, I honestly would watch it again in the future.

It is quite amazing that two great comedy talents like Billy Crystal and Bette Mitler would partake in this quite badly directed movie. Nothing felt real, logical, or authentic. All the comedy scenes were forced and quite unbelievable...people do not act that way or do things that way. The supporting players, especially Marisa Tomei, were annoying, All three kids were extremely bad actors. Tom Everett Sckott added nothing to the film.I laughed, and/or smiled only about three times during the entire movie. This is truly a situation where I would like to say "Shame on you, Billy Crystal and Bette Mitler, for doing this bomb!"

I was very hesitant at first going by the trailers for this film, but my family wanted to see it for Christmas so I attended. I'm glad I did. I found myself thinking a lot throughout the film that it seemed familiar in what I see in my family.

Billy Crystal is hilarious as is Bette Midler! I haven't seen much of Tom Scott since Dead Man on Campus, but he plays his role really well. Marisa Tomei was great too but the hilarious acting of my personal favorite character, Gedde Watanabe, will have most in tears!

Overall, it's a great family feel good movie. The comedy is for the most part original, yet so simple for laughs. I'm not big on reviews, but I feel this movie really deserved one. It's just brilliantly written in every aspect!

Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids' 21st-century behavior collides with Artie and Diane's old-school methods.

Cute, sometimes smart, sometimes gross family fun film. It started out a lot more intelligent at the beginning then turned into a more generic movie that you have seen a thousand times. I liked how they brought in the new technical world (smart house, email, twitter, facebook) and wish the filmmakers would have focused on that a bit more. It was so funny when Crystal's character doesn't know what his boss is referring to when he mentions "hash tagging" and "poking." The funniest parts were one of the kids wanting to watch the "Saw" films, the tofu and the almond milk!

7/10 (Good)

Breakaway Daily www.breakawaydaily.com

I was at an advance screening of this movie. I didn't keep any hopes as I thought it would be another heavily clichéd unfunny movie. I'm glad that I was proved wrong. The movie is really funny and light-hearted. What I liked is that this film did not have any poorly written lines or jokes.

Everyone played their part well. Especially the kids (although their movie names could have been better) So, Artie (Billy Crystal) is a baseball commentator who's the father of Alice (Marisa Tomei). Artie and his wife Diane (Bette Middler) are unwillingly invited to watch over their grand-kids for a week. Based on previous experience, Alice is concerned over how they would handle her kids (who are overly disciplined) What follows is a week long fun ride with unexpected situations arising due to Artie who is put at blame. The youngest is especially a challenge. There are no plot twists here so as expected everything turns out well in the end.

Don't expect stellar performances, but I'm sure you'll love the kids! I don't think this would garner any Oscars but it's sometimes these feel-good movies (genuinely funny) that make your day. Definitely a must-watch for the holidays with all your family members!

A smooth Bette Midler and a even more smoother Billy Crystal try to take your attention of their faces for a few moments in Parental Guidance. They play Grandparents who have to look after their grandchildren when the parents go off for a few days business holiday.

Crystal is a broadcaster who has been fired for being old hat and comes up with corny one liners.

Marisa Tomei is the helicopter mother who hovers over her kids almost to the point of suffocation and at turns spoiling them. She is rather apprehensive about leaving her children with her parents. For a lot of the film she refuses to join her husband who has gone on the trip before her.

The kids of varying ages are spoilt brats who simply have not had much fun in their lives and have issues. One having an imaginary kangaroo, other having communication issues with the daughter about to enter puberty and not enjoying her music with the constant practice and no social life.

However the film comes across as a sit com style clichéd family relationship film you have many times before.

The kids get hyper by eating sugary food, getting into scrapes much to the irritation of their parents.

You do actually wonder if Midler and Crystal are actually Tomei's parents as she is so uptight it seems someone else must have raised her. In that case why were they invited to look after her kids?

The film gives you a few brief laughs but mostly will leave you bored because of the familiarity of the story. Maybe the screenplay needed a face-lift more than its two stars.

Parental Guidance is a completely delightful movie. Truth be told, I am a Big Marisa Tomei fan, but I don't believe that influenced my view of this very enjoyable movie.

That being said, Billy Crystal and Bette Midler rock too. There' a lot to this story, more than one might think. Alice Simmons (Marisa Tomei) and her hubby Phil (Tom Everett Scott) are ultra-Type A parents, who strive to raise their kids perfectly. They impart all sorts of touchy-feely, loving and encouraging words and phraseology on their 3 children. Who are adorable by the way.

Phil has to attend a company off-site in Hilton Head and wants Alice to join him. She says yes. In need of babysitters, they finally resort to Marisa's parents - Diane Decker (Bette Midler) and Artie Decker (Billy Crystal). As you might expect all is upside down from moment one. When they enter Simmons' house, the mantle is adorned with photos of Phil's parents with the grandchildren. This resonated with me big-time because my three children are much closer to my former in-laws than they are to my parents. Ah. . . such is life.

Simmons' eldest, teen Harper Madison (Bailee Madison - she also appeared in Just Go With It with Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler) is sweet! Turner Simmons (Joshua Rush) gives a sterling rendition of the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" (New York Giants vs. Brooklyn Dodgers - 1951 World Series) and younger brother Barker (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf) has an imaginary invisible Kangaroo friend Carl (ala Jimmy Stewart's Harvey)... What struck me about this movie is the reality of it. It's about the grades children give their parents and the mistakes parents think they made when raising their kids. Artie Decker sums it up nicely when he's speaking with Alice, "You didn't come with instructions." Ain't that the truth.

My parents tried hard I believe, but they left their marks in some ways. I try to be a good parent to my three children and no doubt have left my marks. But in the end and throughout, I LOVE my children and try to let them be who they are and encourage them to find themselves and their way. If nothing else, the point is we all try. Parents aren't as bad as their kids claim. Kids love their parents, despite their kicking and screaming. The generations old tug-of-war continues. And parenting is a combination of art and science. See this movie! While you're at it, keep your eye on Bailee Madison. And maybe Marisa Tomei too!

Arthur VanDam, film critic and author

Well I've read the reviews posted by the studio lackeys, well done. Now an honest one . This movie sucked. how Billy Crystal (and to a lesser extent Bette Midler) would agree to this "movie" I don't know why. there was barely one laugh in 90 minutes of tedium. I would have thought Billy Crystal would have added some of his own humour into the script but it seems not. He seemed to go through the paces. The 'story line' simply laboured on with no direction. The movie tried for warmth but failed miserably. The girl who played Bailee did very well but the kid with the awful attempt at stuttering, well he must have been thankful he was able to finish the movie without having to resort to the stutter and just be able to act.

This is truly one of the most awful pieces of trash ever made.

How do I summarize this? I don't - it's awful.

The plot is utterly predictable, the acting awful, the (otherwise talented) cast horribly misused, and the whole exercise is pointless. On the upside... there simply is no upside. This movie has no redeeming features.

I endured this movie simply because I have never walked out on a movie ever. But it was an act of will power not to walk out on this rubbish.

How this utter bilge could score 5.8 out of 10 brings IMDb's rating system into utter disrepute.

... the suits who fired Billy Crystal at the beginning would have tasted some bad karma at the end.

But everything in between was pitch-perfect - a tremendously accurate (if only slightly over-the-top) portrayal of multi-generational families, their dynamics, and the outcomes that can occur when folks empty their pockets of defense-mechanisms.

The plot is simple: grandparents Billy Crystal and Bette Midler (the "other" grandparents) babysit while their daughter and son-in-law go on a long-overdue mini-vacation, leaving their three intensely over-supervised children in the care of Bette and Billy, who don't much care for that type of hyper-parenting.

The delight of watching this movie is seeing how such a conventional plot will unfold with this superb cast. With humor consisting of both good writing and sight gags, with Bette and Billy and Marissa acting their hearts out, this is B-movie material brought to the top-tier in these very capable hands.

This is a wonderful confection of a movie. Go! And, for those of us from Northern California, it was great to see the San Francisco Giants play a fun supporting role. A pleasant surprise.

Only movie that comes to mind after hearing Billy Crystal is none other than When Harry Met Sally. Though he has given some other fine performances in Analyze Series & Forget Paris, but his chemistry with Meg Ryan was awesome. This movie is of him representing a completely different generation. Marisa Tomei and Tom Everett Scott, couple who are in desperate need for a Vacation away from their three children. That's when they call Tomei's parents Billy Crystal & Bette Midler for the rescue. They are the 2nd choice grandparents aiming to take the 1st spot by winning their grandkid's heart. That's a hell of a task though.

So, it's 100 mins of feel good experience that one can have.

PS: Whether it's Aunt May or Mona Lisa (from My Cousin Vinny) Tomei is what Tomei does i.e., has everyone's attention.

Some reviewers have clicked the button to warn readers that their review may contain spoilers. How can you spoil this movie? The only thing that spoiled it for me was that the theater in which I viewed it had very loud sound so I was unable to get to sleep.

The premise of the movie, as is so often the case, is that love will conquer all. This is a love that is conjured at the flick of a phone call. Grandparents and grandkids hate each other (Guys, guys, I've a great idea... let's call the grandfather Arty so that the rascal kid can call him Farty, guffaw) but within instants of arrival the grandparents are hooked on their grandkids. And, of course, by the end, they have attained mystical healing powers so that, despite their total incompetence, the family is whole and wonderful by the time the credits roll.

It's not funny, it's not clever, it's not watchable. It is Farty.

Billy Crystal and Bette Midler make a compatible pair of grandparents who are so out of touch with today's kids and how they're raised that even their own daughter (Marisa Tomei) doesn't want them near her children. So it is with great trepidation that the paranoid mom allows her parents to mind the store and stay with the young ones while she and daddy go off on a long-deserved getaway. That in a nutshell is the idea behind PARENTAL GUIDANCE, and I was able to relate enough with the idea of how newer generations are missing out on what we had that I was willing to watch it. So Billy and Bette (are they not really old enough in appearance to be grandparents, or is it just that I'm not that far off from their age myself?) try to instill some of their older values and ways of life onto the kids, with occasionally funny results (the scene with Crystal and his grandson at the little league baseball game is a highlight). Nothing outstanding here, just a decent family picture that goes down pretty easy. I must be getting up there in age when I'm starting to think that Bette Midler has weathered the storm pretty well... **/12 out of ****