I was basically shocked as all heck when I saw a trailer for this movie on TV over the holidays. Given the modest success of the first film, I was surprised they were going for a sequel. I was even more shocked that the bigger stars like Hilary Duff and Tom Welling returned for this, but somehow the timing was good enough for all fourteen original characters to reprise their roles.
After seeing "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" quite a few times in the theater this Christmas, I have to say that it was very nicely done and certainly outdid the 2003 film.
It's not anything that's going to win an Oscar or be discussed in passing years from now, but then again it wasn't trying to be either of those things. It was released as a clean, lighthearted movie, ideal for a day at the movies with the kids over the holiday break from school, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Don't get me wrong, I watched the first "Cheaper by the Dozen" in 2003 and liked it well enough. But right off the bat, the one element of this sequel that sets it gloriously apart from the original, and that's the general attitude of the Baker children. Remember how bratty they were three years ago, treating their parents like dirt, treating one another like dirt, and pulling juvenile pranks left and right? Well, now they're a little older, they get along with each other, and they're actually nice to their parents. It makes for a much more relaxing and enjoyable viewing experience with less children screaming and acting up.
The premise for this sequel finds Tom and Kate (played perfectly, once again, by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt) finding that with their three oldest children stepping out of the nest and the remaining nine becoming more involved in their own activities, it would be a good idea to get the whole family together for one last summer at the lake house. Sounds good....that is, until we meet Jimmy Murtaugh (played quite nicely by Eugene Levy), who has a large family of his own and is determined to strike up another heated competition with his longtime rival Tom Baker.
As I said before, the Baker kids are much more likable this time around, and each are presented differently in the film. First off we have:
Nora, who is now married (not to Ashton Kutcher, haha) and pregnant with her first child. Perabo does a nice job here; she and her husband are funny and sweet to watch together, and Perabo contributes to a very heartwarming final scene at the end of the movie.
Charlie, a college student working to pay off loans and trying hard to please his parents, all while attempting to figure out his "next move" in life. "Smallville" star Tom Welling puts forth a good and modest performance, just as he did in the first film.
Lorraine, whose graduation opens the film and introduces her plan to pursue an internship in New York in the fall. The return of the infamous Hilary Duff is probably the most surprising part of the movie, but it was nice that she came back for this and helped get the sequel made. Her number of scenes are small and spread out, and she seems a bit bored most of the time, but Lorraine has a few nice interactions with younger sister Sarah that help demonstrate Duff's ability to get into character, an especially notable feat with such a large cast.
Henry, Jake, Mark and Mike, the four middle sons, who aren't given much to do in this movie except a few lines here and there.
Sarah, the third-oldest preteen daughter seeking her own independence and developing her first crush on none other than one of Jimmy Murtaugh's sons. Roger Ebert said it, a myriad of other big-time movie reviewers have said it, and I'm not going to deny it: Young actress Alyson Stoner delivers what is arguably the movie's most heartfelt and well-done performance in this role. The scene where she goes out on her first date literally brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it, and even though the storyline about a tomboy plunging head-first into adolescence and finding her very first crush is nothing new, it is still something that practically every woman can relate to. It's a somewhat cliched character analysis, yes, but Stoner plays it so sweetly and with such youthful innocence, she absolutely makes the entire movie. This actress really comes into her own with this role, and I genuinely hope to see more from her in the future.
Twin daughters Jessica and Kim, too, don't have much of a personal storyline to play off of, but actresses Liliana Mumy and Morgan York do well enough with what they are given. The only thing I'd have to say about them is that the writers clearly tried way too hard to give them witty lines and funny things to say in unison (e.g. "Lay off, Dad!" and "We agree to participate!") and in the end it didn't quite work. The little girls playing the parts are cute, though, especially the red-headed Liliana Mumy. She's another one with a distinctively expressive personality and cute face that could land her roles in other movies.
The two youngest Baker kids, identical twins Kyle and Nigel, probably stand right behind Alyson Stoner as the next best thing about the movie. Those are the same adorable faces you see on the television series "Desperate Housewives," and even though they don't have much to do in this film either, they melt your heart whenever they come onto the screen.
Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt do a terrific job in their scenes, as well; both of them seem custom-made for the roles as nurturing parents, and they work very well together as on-screen husband and wife. With all the chaotic events going on with the kids, the two of them portray a very special lesson for viewers with the amazing love that they still have for one another. Eugene Levy and Carmen Electra round out the main cast, both playing their roles with humor and ease, and all in all this is a nice movie that handles its overwhelming cast much better this time around. The 12 kids were basically a train wreck in the first movie, running around and getting into all sorts of trouble, but now they are more fleshed out and established in the plot. It is funny, appealing, and yes, even touching, all while outdoing the original 2003 film and remaining more than ideal for parents to enjoy with their children.