This remake of the beloved classic follows the raucous exploits of a blended family of 12, the Bakers, as they navigate a hectic home life while simultaneously managing their family business.
Unfortunately... rather bad.
<em>'Cheaper by the Dozen'</em> undoubtedly has its heart in the right place but what a mess of an execution, they basically come up with as many messages as possible and cram them together - but there's one problem, they forgot the glue! It's just a sequence of points, as it culminates with a woeful, forced family drama.
The cast make it slightly more watchable than it would've otherwise been, I will say that - they aren't great, but are predominantly hindered by the lame dialogue and yawnful character development. Zach Braff and Gabrielle Union are a solid pairing, while Mykal-Michelle Harris and Leo A. Perry are the pick of the younger lot - I would've liked to have seen more of their characters, as those two definitely had the best comedic timing of the kids. Others I note: <em>'<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_Dead" rel="nofollow">Talking Dead</a>'</em> favourite Ron Funches and <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/white-chicks/" rel="nofollow">White Chicks</a>'</em> alum Brittany Daniel.
The only hero from this 2022 flick? Larry Sims. That dude went ham on Union's hair - I've never noticed a character go through so many hairstyles before! Hope he got paid enough.
I feel a tiny bit bad for disliking something that tries to come out meaningful, but man this is a cringefest. If you want a film adaptation of the 1948 novel, I'd recommend the <a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/cheaper-by-the-dozen-2003/" rel="nofollow">2003 remake</a> with Steve Martin.