Everyone agrees Cuba Gooding Jr should have handed back his Jerry Maguire Oscar by now. But, the time has come to renounce his name because none of his movies have been particularly “gooding” since As Good As It Gets back in 1997.
Purporting to be a family romp, Daddy Comedy Death Camp is actually a mystery movie.
It’s a mystery why Cuba Badding Jr. agreed to take the Murphy role, although an exorbitant fee would explain the movie’s cheap look.
It’s a mystery why the film is on a big screen, not filling time between adverts in afternoon TV slots.
It’s a mystery why this formulaic fun void is credited to three writers, two of whom wrote Shrek 2.
It’s a mystery who told Fred “Forever The Wonder Years” Savage he was ready to graduate from his Disney channel gigs. .
But, the biggest mystery is who is expected choose this over any other kid’s movie playing. Made for a tenth of Eddie Murphy’s Daddy Day Care, it has a hundredth of the charm.
What little plot exists crudely grafts Cuba Gurning Jr.’s mid-life fathering crisis and financial woes (cos kids dig near breakdowns and money worries) onto turgid ADD antics that run a gamut from egging to exploding toilets, to projectile vomiting and pee soaking.
In real life Cuba Gruesome Jr. is undoubtedly a fine fellow, but his permanent dead-eyed thousand yard stare and barely checked mania make you fear for the children’s safety.
Straight to video thesps Richard Gant and Paul Rae seem more at ease with the low ambition, low budget proceedings, but then neither have an Oscar silently judging them.
Inevitably it’s happy endings all round come the Olympiad showdown, when Cuba Self-inflicted Gunshot Wound Jr.’s camp has a sports day face off with his childhood rival’s, and fathers and sons are reunited amidst the team sport life lessons.
Daddy D-Day for Cuba’s career.
|
|