Ricetta per un disastro

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)

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.

This movie is on the level of a badly written sit-com. There is not one original idea in it. Every gag is telegraphed from a mile away. Every character is a cartoon cut-out and there is nothing even approaching a real performance. It's pretty clear that the actors involved knew they were turning out schlock and were only in it for a paycheck. I sat through about 30-40 minutes of this nonsense before I decided it wasn't worth any more of my time. If you are looking in your local video store for a good comedy and you happen across this wretched excuse for a movie, do yourself a favor and rent whatever's next to it. It's bound to be better.

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.

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.