Cheaper by the Dozen 2 2005

Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: If the creators seem lethally bored with their product, most viewers will find their patience tested, too. Read more

Robert K. Elder, Chicago Tribune: A harmless, inoffensive bit of family programming during the holiday season -- and there's nothing wrong with that. But 'harmless' doesn't have to mean dull. Read more

Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader: There's a discernible lack of enthusiasm from almost everyone involved, and Duff, who's gone from wholesome to haggard in two short years, is flat-out scary. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: With three inspired comics -- Martin, Levy and Hunt -- as the adult leads, Cheaper 2 is not an entirely wearing experience. But its predictability borders on the insulting. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: Steve Martin is kind of like your uncle who still gets to play quarterback during the holiday family football game, even though he hasn't thrown a touchdown since 1992. Read more

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper: I wonder how many meetings they had before they came up with that title. And didn't we just see this movie a couple of weeks ago, and wasn't it called Yours, Mine and Ours? Read more

Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: All the characters get in fights but, SPOILER ALERT, everything ends with hugs, violins, good wishes and warm hearts. Read more

Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: It aims to be pleasant and good-natured, which it is. There are enough laughs scattered throughout to keep everything moderately amusing, and the cast is likeable. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: Noisy, silly, gratingly upbeat, and piously sentimental, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is what passes for wholesome family entertainment these days. Read more

Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times: Many families are likely to find Cheaper by the Dozen 2 a holiday treat. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: Cute kids. Harried fathers. Wise, understanding mothers. Some stupid pet tricks. A little girl falls in love. Over-protective father messes things up. Money isn't everything. Tender moments. And lots of pratfalls. Read more

Gregory Kirschling, Entertainment Weekly: A family fantasy that plays at being happy and picture-perfect but primarily comes off as fake and dismayingly unfunny. Read more

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: The only ones who are likely to have any investment in all this would be the on-set caterers, who probably bought their own vacation homes after preparing meals for 24. Read more

Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News: In this Hollywood fantasy about a family with 12 kids, nobody does chores, we never see dirty dishes and mom (Bonnie Hunt) is always immaculately groomed, dressed and smiling June Cleaver-style, right down to the tasteful string of pearls. Read more

James C. Taylor, L.A. Weekly: The movie may play better on video screens in the back of minivans, but I suspect even seat-belted children will remain unimpressed. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: Heed my warning: Unless you guys stop going en masse to movies like the first Cheaper by the Dozen, genuinely funny people like Hunt, Martin and Levy will forever be forced to pay their heating bills doing bland franchise fillers like this. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Moviegoers who enjoyed the PG anarchy the first time around should find amusement in the second Dozen. If the last picture left you with a migraine and a sense of claustrophobia, the sequel will be another bout of pain. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: A cheerless sequel to an uninspired remake. Read more

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: Two Dozens and Ours together don't have a dozen laughs between them. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: As I watched this sequel, a certain good feeling began to make itself known. Yes, the movie is unnecessary. However, it is unnecessary at a higher level of warmth and humor than the recent remake Yours, Mine and Ours. Read more

Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune: While their last movie relied on boisterous physical humor, this is built on a family feud. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Sure ain't a movie. Nope, it's a product, pure and very simple and carefully tested to sell to the widest possible market. Read more

Tony Wong, Toronto Star: Sequels tend to be stupider by the dozen, and part two is perhaps overshadowed only by the banality and pointlessness of say, Leprechaun 6. Read more

Mike Clark, USA Today: Give Dozen a slight edge to the mournful Yours, Mine & Ours as a holiday season bottom-feeder, because Martin and Levy are better at slapstick than Dennis Quaid. Read more

Justin Chang, Variety: Bland, canned but studiously professional. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: This is definitely a family trip to stay home and skip. Read more