Cheaper By The Dozen 2 Review

The last time director Adam Shankman hooked up with Steve Martin and Eugene Levy, they bought us the amusing if rather forgettable "Bringing Down The House". "Cheaper by The Dozen 2" at least manages to recreate one aspect of that movie - but unfortunately it's the forgettable part.

The movie revisits the expansive Baker clan headed by parents Tom (Martin) and Kate (Bonnie Hunt). All their 12 offspring are back too although this time things have changed a bit - their eldest Nora (Piper Perabo) is pregnant with her own child while daughter Lorraine (Hilary Duff) is set to move to New York after graduating. In a bid to get the Bakers together one last time, Tom hauls the whole lot of them up to the lake where they used to spend their family holidays but, once there, he gets caught up in an old feud with childhood rival Jimmy Murtaugh (Levy) and his own large brood.

Featuring far too many 'wacky' incidents and contrite family moments, "Cheaper by The Dozen 2" is easily one step too far for this franchise. While the first movie was mildly entertaining and examined the pros and cons of having such a large family, this sequel is little more than an excuse for Martin to overact and make an ass of himself. Levy too should have known better. He badly needs a hit following the terrible "The Man" and the straight-to-DVD "American Pie: Band Camp". "Cheaper by The Dozen 2" is not it.

Perhaps one of Tom's kids sums this movie up best while tracking in the woods. "Cool, we're following poop" he exclaims excitedly. Lucky him 'cos the rest of us were watching it.