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Film

They're still not quite done yet

By Steve Persall
Published April 5, 2007

Ice Cube's emergence as a box office player continues as his original rap gangsta image softens. The man whose music urged retaliatory violence against authority is playing a gentle father figure in Are We Done Yet? (PG), a sequel to 2005's sleeper hit, Are We There Yet?

Cube again plays Nick Persons, now married to Suzanne (Nia Long), whose unruly children made their first movie road trip uncomfortable. Nick has sold his sporting goods store with plans to launch a sports magazine. Suzanne is pregnant with twins, and the children (Aleisha Allen, Philip Bolden) behave slightly better. They all move from a cramped apartment to a country home desperately needing renovation.

Oddly, the movie officially claims to be a remake of 1948's Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. The wan resemblance is closer to The Money Pit and Steve Martin's Cheaper by the Dozen remakes.

John C. McGinley co-stars as the wacky realtor-city inspector-contractor digging the Persons family into a deep hole before becoming the catalyst for an improbably feel-good finale. Are We There Yet? is harmless and forgettable, aimed at undiscriminating kids, with little on screen to keep grownups interested. The movie earned a D+ grade in Wednesday's Page 2B review.

Steve Persall, Times film critic

'Dog' has its day

A quartet of Irish terriers play Rex in Firehouse Dog (PG), competing with Are We Done Yet? for family audience attention. Apparently, Dalmatians don't have exclusive rights to ride on firetrucks.

Rex was formerly a pampered movie star, with a poodle entourage, a diamond collar and Kobe steaks for dinner.

Then an aerial stunt fails and he's lost in grubby surroundings, then discovered by 12-year-old malcontent Shane Fahey (Josh Hutcherson). Shane's demanding father (Bruce Greenwood) leads a ramshackle fire department and its eccentric crew.

Rex becomes the department mascot, employing the bravery he used to perform before cameras. Can he inspire the firefighters to new levels of accomplishment and heal the rift between Shane and his father? What do you think?

Firehouse Dog was screened too late for Weekend review.

S.P.

 'Grindhouse' a dynamic double

The most anticipated spring movie for many viewers is actually two movies in one. Grindhouse (R) combines the talents and gruesome tastes of Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez for a double feature of neo-exploitation flicks inspired by insane 1970's movies drenched in gore and sex.

Tarantino's half, titled Death Proof, stars Kurt Russell as a stunt man moonlighting as a serial killer. His unusual choice of weapon is a souped-up car used to ram victims or kill them in accidents he knows how to survive. Rodriguez contributes Planet Terror, a zombie fest featuring Rose McGowan as a vengeful victim whose chewed-off leg is replaced with prosthetic heavy artillery

They don't make 'em like that anymore, until now.

Grindhouse doesn't skimp on running times, unlike 1978's similarly structured but much tamer Movie Movie. Tarantino and Rodriguez's film clocks in at 191 minutes, counting faux preview trailers. And that's after the MPAA nudged them into trimming footage to avoid an NC-17 rating.

Grindhouse was screened too late for Weekend. Check Friday's Floridian for a full review.

Steve Persall, Times film critic

[Last modified April 4, 2007, 11:21:50]