Daddy Day Camp
By Jane Louise BoursawMPAA Rating: PG for mild bodily humor and language.
In 2003's "Daddy Day Care," Charlie Hinton and Phil Ryerson (played by Eddie Murphy and Jeff Garlin at the time) created a successful daycare business and kept everyone laughing at the same time.
This sequel finds the pair (now played by Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Paul Rae) still in the business after four years. But their kids are growing up – they're seven now – and the dads feel like the years are slipping away. To spend more time with them, they decide to take over a summer day camp.
"The Daddy Day Care brand means a lot," says Charlie to wife Kim (Tamala Jones). "Repurposing that brand into summer is just smart business." Kim's not convinced. After all, Charlie has zero knowledge of the great outdoors. Still, he's excited about the idea of introducing his son, Ben (Spencir Bridges), to Camp Driftwood – the same camp he went to as a kid.
Once there, they discover that the run-down camp is badly in need of some attention. No problem! Charlie and Phil get to work tidying things up so they can give a group of campers "a summer they'll never forget." Truer words were never spoken, because nothing goes right from day one. It doesn't take long for things to spiral out of control.
A busload of campers show up, all with their distinct personalities: Becca (Molly Jepson) is all business. Mullet (Zachary Allen) is "business up front, party in the back, baby." And Robert (Tad D'Agostino) is the geeky guy who wants the cool girl.
An Intercamp Olympiad plays into the storyline, as well as some family (dis)harmony involving members of the Hinton clan. It's a familiar story about being true to yourself, working as a team, persevering against the odds, and letting the past stay in the past. You pretty much know how this movie is going to turn out in the first five minutes.
PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): While a little too crude for preschoolers, there's no shortage of camp-themed DVDs for little ones. In "Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp" (a 2006 DVD from the Hermie & Friends series), kids learn to accept those who are different. Judge Reinhold provides a cute (and bug-like) voice for Stanley, and this is also one of Don Knotts' final acting efforts. In "Kidsongs – A Day at Camp" (2002), preschoolers can hike along with the Kidsongs Kids, see animals along a mountain trail, go fishing with a goofy camp counselor, and sing songs around a campfire.
GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6 - 10): This movie is ok for kids 8 and older, but be forewarned that it includes plenty of crude jokes and slapstick comedy: A school bus careens into a camp building, Phil gets whacked with a piece of wood, Charlie falls through a dilapidated roof, Phil gets knocked in his privates by a little camper (it's a recurring theme), an outhouse explodes, a skunk gets friendly with a bus window, and so on and so forth. That said, this is exactly the kind of humor grade-schoolers love, so it will probably be a big hit with this crowd. Fortunately, there's a few lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and forgiveness mixed in.
TWEEN / TEEN (ages 11+): This movie is really aimed at kids in the 8 to 12 age range (see above), but it's an ok fluffy comedy for older kids. Still, one of the best things about the first movie was the comedic chemistry between Eddie Murphy and sidekicks. Those are big shoes to fill.
Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries.
Star Rating
3 stars
