My Take on the Movies
A Mini-Review of
ARE WE THERE YET?
By: A. L. “Toni” Anderson

Are We There Yet is a silly new comedy starring my man, Ice Cube. I knew before I went to see the movie that “their” reviews were bad, but I did not let this deter me. I had hoped for something along the lines of Barber Shop or Friday. Wrong! I should have taken a clue from the fact that two of the major characters were children. Hello! It turns out that children are the target audience in this farce; my grandson loved it. That fact did not, however, stop this movie from being the #1 box office draw for the weekend.

Ice Cube is Nick, a former minor league ballplayer who owns a sports memorabilia store. Across the street is a florist’s shop, where he sees and falls immediately in love with the beautiful Suzanne (Nia Long). He learns, too late, that she is the divorced mother of small, bratty kids (played by Aleisha Allen and Philip Bolden).

What really separates this movie from the previous Ice Cube comedies is the “physical” humor, Ã la Jerry Lewis. Nick spends nearly as much time on the ground as he does in his expensive new, but ill-fated, Lincoln Navigator. Most of the obstacles he encounters while attempting to transport Suzanne’s lovable little monsters are entirely predictable. I’m not completely certain I haven’t seen some of them before, somewhere….

The kids miss their absentee father and fervently hope their parents will reconcile. Naturally, they hate Nick, and the feeling is mutual. The contest is on, with the expected results!

This slightly funny film has the necessary sappy ending that I anticipated. It is almost bearable, except that its 1-1/2 hour running time is about 30 minutes longer than I could easily tolerate.

My second favorite part of the movie was attempting to figure out two mysteries: 1) who provides the voice for the bobble-head of baseball legend Satchel Paige (Tracy Morgan); and 2) who plays the aging but still attractive babysitter of the terrible two (Star Trek Lieutenant Uhura, Nichelle Nichols).

My most favorite part? You guessed it — looking at Ice Cube! Although he is not quite ready for Shakespeare, the boy is still foine!

[© 01/24/2005]