Vita da camper

The executive Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is stressed, feeling threatened of losing his job and his lifestyle, since his abusive boss Todd Mallory (Will Arnett) hired the Stanford's geek Laird (Richard Cox) to work in their soda's company. Bob has promised his wife Jamie Munro (Cheryl Hines), his teenage daughter Cassie Munro (Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque) and his young son Carl Munro (Josh Hutcherson) to spend vacations in Hawaii, but Todd demands him to prepare a presentation and attend a business meeting with the owners of a family company in a merging operation scheduled in the same period. Bob hides the truth to his family, rents a recreational vehicle and tries to convince his dysfunctional family that a road trip to the Colorado Rocky Mountains would be good to bring old values back to their family. After many incidents and while in the trailers parking area, the rookie Bob is helped by the bizarre but friendly Gornicke family. They escape from the Gornickes and initiate a journey of difficulties and leaning, retrieving their forgotten family bonds.

When I decided to watch "RV" on DVD, I had lower expectations, but I am still laughing while writing my review. This hilarious movie has many unforgotten sequences, but my two favorites are in the very beginning, when Cassie promises to love her father forever, and when Bob complains that the family watches television in four different apparatuses and needs Internet to communicate among them. This family entertainment has good messages relative to family bonding, pressure in the job and true friends. There are some gross, but also funny scenes, and in the end I really liked this comedy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Férias no Trailer" ("Vacations in the Trailer")

I really needed this. The day before I saw this movie I saw one movie that was terrible and one that was good but depressing. That's what happens when you're cheap and you just watch what's on, even if you use a DVR to see it later. And with this movie, a DVR or other recording device is essential. You want to see everything happen. Or maybe you don't. I don't recommend eating while you watch this.

Robin Williams doesn't do his best work here, but if all you want is to see this master play a normal father with the ability for the slapstick and stand-up styles of comedy, you couldn't do much better. His presentation in Boulder is brief but amazing. There's a second presentation that is also quite good but not ideal for a business professional; it's more suited to, say, a corny movie that teaches a moral lesson. And he does the normal father scenes quite well.

JoJo Levesque is ideal as a spoiled teenager who learns what is important in life and can even show a mature side. She starts out (what-EVER) as quite a contrast to the adorable Erika-Shaye Gair we saw a few minutes earlier. And she can SING! You have to stay around for the closing credits. Not everyone in this cast has singing talent, but she does.

Cheryl Hines is quite likable and amazingly tolerant. And she looks good here. I think the difference is she doesn't smile much. She doesn't have much to smile about. But when she does, it's not that gigantic smile.

Kristin Chenoweth makes the most of her role as the matriarch of the annoying Gornicke family that keeps showing up to make our heroes miserable. You have to like her, unless you're the Munros. She looks great and isn't ashamed to show off her ... chest. She has a magnificent singing voice and even shows her operatic talent in performing something corny.

Jeff Daniels is likable and actually intelligent. For his role, I would have expected someone more like Organ Stew Guy. He was introduced at a time when poor Bob needed someone with brains to clean up the literal mess made by the bumbling Howie and Joe Joe. But for the annoying rednecks, I didn't think intelligence would be required. I was wrong, and he plays a great character.

I've mentioned music several times. There's a lot of good music here. Most of it is instrumental country music, but I don't need words to enjoy it. When there are words, they are mostly the silly words that you would expect kids to hate. Hines doesn't mind being silly and embarrassing her kids, who have their own "music" (it doesn't qualify).

Colorado has magnificent scenery. I can't say enough about it. North Carolina's mountains are beautiful, but I don't think we have anything to compare to this. And yet the credits mention Canada. So this is actually Canada? Wherever it is, it's enough to drive home the lesson this family has needed to learn. Who needs Hawaii? Utah's not bad either. Great rock formations. For some reason, no trees grow until you reach the border.

And we do learn some important lessons here. We have the evil boss who doesn't seem to care about family and probably wouldn't appreciate nature either. And Laird, the young upstart who might replace Bob who has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Brilliant, but no people skills. So once it becomes clear people like this aren't the ones you should consider important in life, our heroes find out what really makes life worth living.

Is it appropriate for the whole family? Of course. If your family likes potty humor. I can see some strict parents not wanting their kids anywhere near this. But it's a fun adventure if you can handle it.

My wife dragged me to this movie and I was planning on completely hating it from the start... but, a funny thing happened on the way to the end of this movie. I actually didn't hate it!! Now, it's nothing special and I would suggest waiting until it's released on DVD, but I did giggle throughout the silly pratfalls and goofiness.

Kristen Chenowith played an over the top redneck wife that came with big hair, ample bosom and too much makeup to boot! Jeff Daniels, always completely likable, didn't back down from his "Big Texan" character with hat, boots and thick bushy mustache. They stole the movie, and made it somewhat fun in the process.

Don't go see this movie if you're wanting side splitting laughter, but for an hour and a half of silly fun, it's a nice distraction!

AGAIN, JUST WAIT FOR IT TO COME OUT ON DVD!!! You'll be happy that you did!

The trailer does this film no justice. My family wanted to see it and I must admit it looked pretty stupid from the commercials. I've always liked Robin Williams though and went along for the ride. It turned out to be a vacation trip full of laughs.

The entire theater was howling throughout the movie. Williams was at his quick witted best and the entire cast just seemed to fit the film. Granted, this is a "roll with the comedy" kind of film. There may be a little bit too much "potty" humor, but it isn't anything raunchy like Wedding Crashers or other films aimed at teens. This is good for the entire family and will have them all laughing.

Some of the plot and a few of the jokes are telegraphed from a mile away but the strength of the performances and a troop of likable characters transform it from a film you merely wouldn't regret watching to one you'll actually enjoy."

R.V

My rating: 6.5/10

I went to see this movie with extremely low expectations, thanks to all the negative predictions which had been circulating for the past few weeks, and I have only one thing to say; DO NOT avoid this movie only because your favourite critic has said that it is an unprecedented flop, or because you think the title is unappealing – watch the movie for yourself first, and be the judge yourself without being influenced by any other guy who probably hasn't even seen the film. Only then you will realise the true significance of this movie.

First off, it's a great movie to watch with the whole family, which is saying something since most of the comedy movie nowadays are filled with raunchy jokes from start to finish (not that I don't enjoy those movies, but it's cool to watch a nice simple family movie every now and then – "The Pink Panther" is a good example of the latter). Contrary to rumours, Robin Williams does NOT let us down, in fact I think he is just as funny as he was in his previous flicks – and if some obsessively observant viewers do notice a change in his performance, then give the guy a break, he's getting older he isn't what he used to be 10 years ago!

I think it's a pretty good movie– mind, it isn't a piece of genius but as I said, if you wipe out all biased thoughts from your mind before watching this flick and without the skeptical attitude, there's a good chance you will enjoy this movie as much as I did, just give it a try.