Cuba? What the hell…?

What’s next Norbit 2? Please noooooo!!!!

I don’t get it, why does this movie exist? What’s the thought process? Let’s take an already mediocre movie (Daddy Day Care) and make a less inspired, poorly conceived sequel. I miss the days when only good movies got less inspired, poorly conceived sequels.

Cuba stars (well shows up) as Charlie (apparently the same Charlie that Eddie Murphy showed up for in the previous film) who decides that instead of day care, let’s try summer camp…except for the fact that he hates the woods. Whatever. Charlie wants his son to attend his old stomping ground, Camp Driftwood, which has seen better days, rather than the nearby camp, Camp Canola. Charile and day care partner Phil decide they’ll use their magic to try to bring the camp back to its glory days. Their problem is that his son Ben, and fellow campers aren’t quite the coolest kids in the woods and the camp is going to foreclose unless they can make some more money. The cool kids all go to the rival camp nearby which happens to be run by Charlie’s old camp rival. So, the kids and the dads have to band together to outdo the “cooler” kids in an Olympiad in a very Revenge of the Nerds kind of way. Except with kids. And not funny.

So in the end, with little (or no) hilarity and feigned slapstick, Charlie and Ben do some bonding, Charlie gets over his fears, and the geeky campers win! The end. Sorry if I ruined it all for you. Guess now you won’t want to watch it. Trust me, I’ve done you a favor and you’ve seen it all done before, much, much better.

I knew going into this, it wouldn’t be a good movie. I had hoped, however, that Fred Savage (yes, Kevin Arnold) could shine as a director and make this movie more than the turd that it was. Unfortunately, I think Fred will have to return to directing Nickelodeon sitcoms. Sorry Fred. I do love Ned’s Declassified if it’s any consolation.

On the upside (a very slight upside), this is a very family friendly movie, so if you’re completely desperate (and I mean completely), the kids might enjoy it.

Video

It pains me to say that though the film generally reeks, the transfer is at least OK.  I had hoped this would have a lot of nice, outdoor summertime shots that I could at least appreciate while painfully sitting through the film, but no, it’s overcooked. It looks more like a made-for-TV movie than film. Detail is still nicely evident, but this film suffers from the same weird post-processing as my other favorite film Norbit. The actors look too plastic-like at times. Then again, I’ve seen worse transfers too. At least I didn’t notice any artifacts or edge enhancement.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 TrueHD track was the only thing this disc really had going for it. The balance was nice, dialog was clear, and surrounds were used effectively. There was also a nice sense of bass present. The sound works as a rousing action piece, which I thought was quite appropriate for a kid-flick. Overall I was pleased with the mostly forgettable audio track.

Extras

Next to nil:

• How I Spent My Summer Making Daddy Day Camp -a behind the scenes extra that was extremely brief
• What I Learned At Camp - an interactive quiz about the film that kids might enjoy

Overall

I have kids, and I understand the appeal of a family friendly movie. Daddy Day Camp just doesn’t cut it. The film isn’t the worst I’ve ever seen, but it’s completely forgettable. My kids wouldn’t sit through it, but some might. Might serve as a rental for your 8 year olds as long as you don’t have to be present. Make the babysitter do it! The Blu-ray is mediocre at best with only an average transfer but a decent audio option. Buyer beware!