CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN [2003] Steve Martin ; Rated PG

Steve Martin's previous movie 'Bringing Down The House', for whatever reason, failed to impress, and in the upcoming weeks before the release of this, his latest, it too was also met, some what predictably, with less than favourable reviews. So imagine my surprise to discover that in fact 'Cheaper By The Dozen' isn't half bad. 'Martin plays a dad of twelve, trying to juggle his career aspirations with the well being of his rather large family. His performance is hardly original, but it does entertain, and unlike his role in 'Bringing Down The House', his character this time is more realistically restrained and doesn't resort to overly crazy antics just to get a cheap laugh. Tom Welling (our resident Superman) also stars in his first big screen role and really does shine of things to come. However it's not all thumbs up. Even though the film's first hour is superbly funny, it does lose some of its momentum when it tries to close on a more sentimental note. The problems with the film don't just stop there. The film also breaks one of the golden rules of cinema, by ignorantly revealing on at least three occasions the microphone boom stand for which the dialogue is recorded with. This type of oversight is one of a very grave nature, making the film feel 'cheaper' (if you pardon the pun) from the very beginning. So, even if the film's final third had been of the same quality as the rest of the film, I wouldn't have given it any more than 3/5 simply because of the very basic fundamentals that have been ignored. With that being said, boom stands and all, 'Cheaper By The Dozen' is well rounded family fun and a nice churn out by 'Martin. It could have been better, but it is fun, energetic and perfectly watchable. Definitely worth a look.

3/5