L'asilo dei papà

Caught this today on DVD with a buddy's grand-kids, and was pleasantly surprised. I have given it 9 out of 10, not for pure artistic merit, but as a funny 'family-film'. Certainly, the current rating here at IMDb is pessimistic. There are only 2 or 3 decent films of this sort produced annually in Hollywood, the rest being utter trash.

Eddie Murphy plays a more subdued role than we might expect as a high-powered 'player' in the ad game, with little time for his family. A sudden change finds him desperate for work or an enterprise, in a plot ploy reminiscent of Michael Keaton's "Mr. Mom". The unfolding action finds Eddie scrambling to operate a day care facility with frenetic partners Jeff Garlin and, later, Steve Zahn. Murphy allows that duo to handle the slapstick end of things. He remains the thinker and the one who calms the waves of lunacy, allowing the plot to move forward to the next challenge facing our heroes.

The satirical side of this story is shown by examining the competing (snotty) daycare center of the always-delightful Angelica Huston, reprising her 'vampy villainess' role of "Ever After". She runs a sophisticated academy for toddlers that Fraser and Niles Crane might envy (but it really needs to be taken down a peg or two).

Refreshing, too, is the portrayal of the daycare inspector unleashed on Eddie by Huston. Instead of the typical clichéd grump who threatens and hollers, we get a tender, supportive fella who really wants the boys to succeed (we find out why at the end - watch the puppet show carefully!).

Garlin is the closest thing I've seen to a replacement for our departed and dear John Candy, a slightly over-sized actor who can combine tenderness with slapstick! Zahn was an unusual sidekick fit as 'Giordino' to McConaughey's 'Dirk Pitt' in "Sahara", and, here as a hapless Trekkie, impresses with his comedic timing.

Other notables pop up in supporting roles, and the kids are terrific. Enjoy!

Final word to other actors of (former) glory: check your ego at the door, share the limelight with a great supporting cast and find a real script with likable or compelling characters. in no particular order.

This is just a funny and fun movie. And as one user wrote, the chemistry between all the actors and kid actors really makes the movie. We could use more movies like this. Nothing inappropriate either. It is one of those movies that you come away smiling. It's a feel good movie. I imagine if more people would support these kinds of movies maybe Hollywood would make more. I do wonder if there are more people than we think who secretly enjoy a good wholesome movie. And love Steve Zahn. Eddie Murphy is so good when he keeps it clean. He seems genuinely nice and, of course, love his voice for animated characters.

Everyone in the cast really makes this movie charming.

Okay, okay. How exactly do you give a movie like this a horrible grade? It's too cute to call bad, and how can an innocent children's film be considered a corrupted form of entertainment. Well, I guess I'm a sucker. With all of the cute kids, the laughable Star Trek fan (Steve Zahn at his best), and a diverse collection of neurotic characters plays into a movie that was focused-grouped t o the point of near banality. But then again, you can't put this film down simply because the kids were so great. So, I put down Eddie Murphy, who must be longing for the days of Beverly Hills Cop. Sure, he was respectable and funny, but his hard hitting days are well past him. I will say this, Lacey Chabert was absolutely smoking, and Angelica Huston was perfect as the evil school marm.

Casting for this film was brilliant. In fact, it could not have been anything less, given that the final edited product - which boasts of great interplay and chemistry between the crew, cast and the kids- was a great family film (decent, entertaining, and heartfelt). What is particularly nifty is that in this film, like some others including Judge Reinhold's Vice Versa (1988), we get to see a children's movie for adults with both the kids and the adults sharing equal stage presence, which really is splendid.

Eddie Murphy (now into his family man image phase) and fellow co-stars like Steve Zahn (playing yet another geeky role with slick comic timing) really capture the screen with their ability to play such innocently playful and tender roles and when you watch them engage in conversations with the child actors (who must have been a handful to manage), one can tell instantly there was chemistry on and off screen there (even child actors are kids and kids know who to trust) that went on to boost the production set.

The credits even run a series of bloopers which showed the whole cast and crew crying out in laughter after the some of the cherubic kids deliver hilarious comments in between takes. The fun and interaction they must have all shared as a crew unit must have been dewy cheeked wonderful! This boost spills over into the film as one can definitely sense the fun filed atmosphere, and even if someone disagrees they'd definitely agree that there was loads of confetti colour and delightful rainbow filled moments throughout the film, which kind of also is a credit to the originality of this film's screenplay.

to my surprise. This wasn't half bad. The first time in a long time, I've found an Eddie Murphy movie to be OK. Of course, it isn't him that makes this film, but the kids. They were the ones which were funny. How can you not laugh when a little girl kicks a fat guy in the crotch for no reason with her mother by her side. Plus when all the kids are given sugar treats for lunch and are bouncing off the walls. And there are many other scenes like that one.

And Angelica Houston has a worth while cameo as the head of a stuffy, over priced day care that stoops to low stunts to try to put Daddy Day Care out of business.

FINAL VERDICT: Has some funny parts. Kids should like it, but it isn't for everyone. If you like movies that require no usage of brain cells, then you might think this one is good enough to watch.