Are We There Yet?

Long distance driving, constant headaches, groaning and claustrophobia. Then, that tedious question arises...Are we there yet? But in the new flick, Are we there yet?, that question takes a new meaning.

Through a series of worst-case scenarios from deer attacks to a train race on horseback, Nick Persons (Ice Cube, Barbershop) experiences it all.

Beginning a timid romance between Persons and Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long, Boiler Room), possible babysitters for her children while she's away becomes few and far between, leaving Persons, a child-hater as the only viable option. He must transport Kingston's two "angelic" children 350 miles from Oregon to Vancouver. They attempt to make it in 24 hours by plane, train and automobile.

Directed by Brian Levant, director of Snow Dogs (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) and Jingle All The Way (Arnold Schwarzenegger), he defines his love for making family-fun movies.

For what it was worth, the acting was decent. Ice Cube played a better role than I expected. Aleisha Allen (School of Rock) and Philip Bolden (Johnson Family Vacation) were well-cast. And the cherry on top of the acting was Jay Mohr (Pay It Forward, Jerry Maguire). The way the actors worked together accented the movie.

Cinematography in this movie was exactly what I expected. There were a few intriguing camera angles, better than I've seen from directors of Levant's credibility.

The rating was well chosen as PG. There was minor language and rude humor.

Noticing half of the theater filled with children ranging from five to twelve, and tons of parents, I'd definitely suggest staying away from this movie on a date. There were periodic jokes and entertaining scenes, but if you don't like "kiddy" movies, I would not encourage this.

The one bright spot in this generally junky movie was Aliesha Allen's singing. I was very disappointed to see that she is no longer making films.

This may not be an Academy Award winning movie, but it was entertaining the whole way through. It was light hearted, funny (with some slap-stick and occasional rude humor) and moving at times. I thought it was cleaver how Nick's conscience was portrayed through a Satchel Paige bobble-head. This movie appealed to all ages. There were some surprise guest appearances, namely Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura from Star Trek) and Tracy Morgan as the voice of Satchel Paige. This movie was similar in style to Christmas With The Kranks only this one was actually funny and you care about the characters. If you are looking to be entertained and fun for the whole family ...then this movie is for you.

I've been made fun of for enjoying Are We There Yet which is unfortunate! Despite the flaws this movie has it warms my heart. Ice Cube is great through out and so are the kids. Not for everyone but I love this movie the way it is! Adventure stories are great to me even the unorthodox ones at least occasionally.

Are We There Yet? pits Ice Cube as a bumbling dad of sorts who deals with mischievous kids - it's like a modern "Home Alone" but without criminals, and also the fact that it's bad. In this case, the hard type formula in charge of naughty children ("The Pacifier", "Daddy Day Care") is used again. If before the protagonists were Vin Diesel or Arnold Schwarzenegger, now the tough man is Ice Cube, the rapper of rough letters that now declares "I wanna be like Eddie Murphy."

If already the starting point is not very promising, in the hands of Brian Levant ("Problem Child 2", "The Flintstones", "Beethoven, etc.), vulgarity arrives To unbearable extremes. It's a series of repetitive grown men falling down scenes and all sorts of bland old hi-jinks. Ice Cube is dating a woman with two mischievous kids, as she asks him to drive them to Vancouver in Canada to see her at a business trip. Ice Cube must deal with the kids treating him as "the enemy", pulling slapstick pranks here and there, forgiving them in the end, and making the once controversial rapper succumb to family films. AWTY? is repetitive and weak.

Family films of the 2000s are particularly bad, although AWTY? is at least entertaining. Seeing this movie can be worse if we do not transmute our mind to that of a 7 year old. Funny, but unprecedented. I, in the case of the protagonist, had committed a murder. But I have nothing to worry about is pure fantasy.