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Back Shelf Beauties
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Daddy Day Care Eddie Murphy used to be Raw, Beverly Hills Cop, Gumby and Mister Robinson, but he's all grown up now. Like the fans who bought his comedy albums, he is older and has kids, so it's a natural transition that allows him to keep his fans. You have to admire that he realizes he can't be a kid forever. In Daddy Day Care, Murphy plays Charlie Hinton - a marketing exec who loses his job when he gets stuck with a dud product. His best friend, Phil (Jeff Garlin), joins him on the unemployment line, but Charlie is getting antsy. The bills are piling up, the job offers don't exist, and Charlie needs something do when, after some inspiration, he and Phil get the notion that they could run an affordable day care center to compete with the ritzy, mean day care across town. Can these two men run a successful day care? Can they control the kids? Daddy Day Care is not a laugh-a-minute riot, but it is a funny film that most people will enjoy. Writer Geoff Rodkey, director Steve Carr and Murphy pick the right moments to unleash the one-liners. While many of the scenes will seem cliché, Daddy Day Care has a funny sub-plot about the competition between the guys' day care and the ritzy one run by Anjelica Huston, who is deliciously evil in her role. Murphy moves adeptly between straight man and comedian, while Steve Zahn does a great job as the dorky friend who used to work in the mailroom. Garlin's performance was the only disappointment While he is usually hilarious in the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, Garlin is wasted in this movie. He is often reduced to playing a fat guy who falls down alot, which is funny once or twice, but not as many times as it happens here. After a strong start, Garlin's material and enthusiasm seem to wane. Daddy Day Care is a sold film, but one that relies a little too heavily on the potty humor. After starting the movie with a potty joke, it keeps going and going. You have seen most of those jokes in the trailers and commercials, so you won't be too surprised by their appearance in the film, but Daddy Day Care works best when Murphy and company get to be hip. The adult humor (not adult like a porno, but adult as in intelligent and witty) is the best part of the film. While the stuff with the kids is cute, the interplay between Huston and Murphy is excellent. You won't go wrong with Daddy Day Care. It's safe, funny and good enough this weekend. Grade: B Copyright 2003 - WaffleMovies.com
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