Cheaper By The Dozen

Four stars. Recommended.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. The first half is absolutely hilarious. It takes the chaos of a household with 12 kids, and channels all of that chaos into laughs. I roared out loud in places, and giggled madly in others. ("You soaked his underwear in meat. That is so wrong. Funny, but wrong.") The second half of the film felt weaker and less focussed. It concentrates more on the stresses of the situation the family finds themselves in with an eye to resolving it neatly in the happy ending. It pops up a number of story lines I would like to have seen more of, but the film was just too short to look at the all. (Note to self: must watch more teen angst comedies. Also, must try to catch some Smallville.) Basically, it's an excellent family comedy, in the same vein as Parenthood. Anyone who has survived having a toddler around the house will appreciate it.