HeadlinesExotic Boring

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Adam Foidart I suppose it's worth noting that "Are We Done Yet?" is better than the first movie in the "series" (2005's "Are We There Yet?") but even then, there's not much of a reason to actively seek out and watch this film. As you might have expected from the end of the first picture, Nick Persons (Ice Cube, proving once again that he's not very attached to his tough guy attitude as long as he gets paid) has married Suzanne (Nia Long) and is now the stepfather to Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden) and Lindsey (Aleisha Allen). For some unexplainable reasons, the entire family has moved into Nick's apartment instead of the house Suzanne and her children were living in the previous film and they have adopted a huge dog. Nick has also sold his sports collectibles store and is now following the dream he's had all along: publishing a sports magazine (Maybe that was in the director's cut). When Suzanne informs him that she's pregnant with twins, Nick decides that it's time to go. He leaves these leeches and never looks back! OK, that's not the case, unfortunately. Instead, they move to the country and buy a house that turns out to be a total piece of junk. Now the repairs required and the bills are piling up and it's making Nick increasingly frustrated, which is leading to the family being torn apart! On the positive side, the jokes in this film are less obvious and the children less annoying than they were in 2005. I guess you could also say that Nia Long has a bigger role and the overall plot is better (Which I attribute to this being based on the previously existing film "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House"). Nevertheless, the jokes here are still far from what I would call clever. Most of the comedy concerns Ice Cube getting angry at the repairs that are taking place, him getting hit in the head or falling over when he finds yet another spot that is badly rotted or needs to be patched up or him being bewildered to find that Chuck, his multi-talented neighbor (played by John C. McGinley) has yet another job. The story arc overall is pretty predictable, with the kids not wanting to go to the country because for Lindsey, there won't be any cute boys there (guess if she'll find at least one before the movie is over) and Kevin being scared of the outdoors (do you think he'll conquer that fear at some point?). We've also got the drama with the babies coming around and Suzanne being upset that Nick isn't there to support her because of the repairs (you'd think Nick would have learned his lesson with the first two demon children Suzanne gave birth to and learned to use some birth control). We've also got this running plot about Nick struggling with material for his dream magazine. You could say it's JAM PACKED! with stuff that's not very interesting.I guess "Are We Done Yet?" is harmless enough, but it's not really that funny unless you're really little, not really that dramatic or difficult to predict unless you've seen very few films and overall not that original. I liked it better than the first one for what it's worth, so if you thought "Are We There Yet?" was awesome, then you're going to love this.As a grown man cursed to always watch a film all the way to the end, no matter how much it doesn't appeal to me, I'll admit this was a breath a fresh air compared to stinkers such as "Dune" or "In the Name of the King" but I can't really recommend it, even as family entertainment. Unless you just loved the first one and are able to suspend your disbelief because of the fact that Suzanne had a huge house in that first film, then you'll eat this up like a bowl of ice cream covered with sprinkles. The reason for me not being able to recommend it is that these cheap family comedies are a dime a dozen and they don't really do anything for the family. They don't create lasting memories or contain memorable laughs, impactful lessons or anything that stimulating otherwise. Sure, it's harmless but that's not enough to make "Are We Done Yet?" legitimately good. (On DVD, July 26, 2014)

Julie Kinnear If you've ever seen one of Ice Cube's films before, you know what to expect when sitting down to watch ARE WE DONE YET? Delinquent behaviour, silliness galore, a touch of potty humour and lots of rap music. Well, we can't fault Ice Cube for the latter since he was one of the biggest rappers of the 1990s, but the kind of humour found in his films is quickly becoming stale now, and his hijinks don't seem as funny as they did back when I was growing up in the 90s grunge era.ARE WE DONE YET? is a sequel to the 2005 comedy ARE WE THERE YET? and some Hollywood execs even claim that it is a remake of the classic MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) which we have reviewed here in the past. Personally, I find that a little hard to swallow but there are definite signs of this modern comedy being influenced by the likes of the beloved classic Hollywood film starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy. I think it's just incredibly difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that movie audiences have been told to expect comparisons between this film and its classic predecessor.Produced by Revolution Studios, RKO Pictures, and Cube Vision, ARE WE DONE YET? starts where ARE WE THERE YET? left off: Nicholas "Nick" Persons (Ice Cube) has married Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long) and together with her two children – Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden) - have moved into Nick's small, compact apartment. Chaos (and a whole lotta mess) ensues when the four of them try to navigate their way through the tight hallways and diminutive rooms of Nick's former bachelor abode. Milk is spilled and eggs go flying and when Suzanne reveals that she is pregnant, and expecting twins no less, Nick makes the executive decision to move the family out and into a larger home.Suzanne, Lindsey, and Kevin are not impressed when the search for a new home leads them into the countryside. Nick waxes lyrical about the clean, fresh air, the serenity of the landscape and the wide open spaces and tries to convince his wife and stepchildren that moving into rural Oregon is the best choice for them – until he comes face to face with a deer and then it's every man for himself! They somewhat reluctantly set their sights on an outwardly beautiful historic home built in 1889 and consider buying the property from real estate agent Chuck Mitchell Jr (John C. McGinley).Chuck describes the property as a "fixer-upper" and rightfully so because it seems that everything the Persons touch either crumbles into little tiny pieces or savagely tears apart with no warning whatsoever. When Suzanne expresses concern over the dilapidated structure, Nick insists that he is perfectly capable of renovating the home himself and fixing any little problems that crop up. I can pretty much guarantee that you're sitting there, reading this review and shaking your head in disbelief right about now. Believe me, so am I.Realtor Chuck wins himself a sale and the Persons move in (albeit grudgingly). Now that the family is based in the country, it's time for Nick to introduce his wife and stepchildren to the beautiful outdoors. He takes them on fishing and canoe trips, quiet walks through the wilderness, and jaunts across open trails reminiscent of the open plains of the English countryside. Nick obviously wants the best for his new family and tries really hard to help them all adapt to their new surroundings, but at every turn they encounter one obstacle after another. If they're not being attacked by a shark-like fish, their house's electrical wiring is blowing up. If they're not being chased by a swarm of bats, they're falling through holes in the floor and muddy trenches in the ground.Admitting defeat and at the behest of his wife, Nick calls in the local contractor who happens to be realtor Chuck (he wears both hats apparently). Chuck quickly gets to work and upon his initial inspection proclaims that the home's issues go a lot deeper than his original diagnosis of it being a simple "fixer-upper." Needless to say, Nick is not impressed especially when he re-enters his home and finds it nearly gutted soon after Chuck's arrival. Frustrated and emasculated, Nick takes out his anger on his expectant wife and stepchildren, not to mention realtor/contractor Chuck whom Nick swiftly fires. To add more fuel to the fire, daughter Lindsey sneaks out of the house one night to go to a party and when she gets caught, Nick grounds her which further provokes the ire of pregnant Suzanne.As with all family comedies, it's pretty much inevitable when the husband and wife clash and the situation is brought to a head; in this case, Suzanne takes the children and moves into the guesthouse, away from her frustrated spouse. Unfortunately, the stress of the situation and her already fragile condition culminate into labour pains – looks like the twin babies are on the way! Turns out the nearest hospital is an hour away so Nick and Lindsey are stuck having to deliver the infants themselves. In comes Chuck and it's a full house of frantic, panicked people. Oh joy!Fast forward to six months later and we see the Persons and their friends (including Chuck) enjoying a big barbecue in the home's backyard. The house has been renovated, the Persons family is living together again, and everyone's happy – just in time for the film's animated end credits to roll. How charming! Except that it's not. The whole film seems juvenile and horribly contrived. Yes, it's billed as a comedy, but I honestly didn't laugh once and it was due mostly to the cast's poor performances and deficient humour (if you can even call it humour).

Geo Rob All through the movie, I was asking "is this movie done yet?" It was a rather entertaining movie for awhile, but then the plot wilts and events occur "just 'cause." The Chuck Mitchell character (played by John McGinley from Scrubs) is entertaining until he leaves Nick's (Ice Cube) "project." The false drama created when Nick finds out Chuck's wife is dead (not on tour in China?) was terrible and highly unrealistic. The special effects are another thing. They look like something out of a Bugs Bunny movie. The kids' acting surprised me a bit, but they weren't better than in the first film. I don't think this movie is worth your time.

sehalusekuschool John C. McGlinley stole the show. The tag for the movie should be "an emotionally disturbed contractor, still mourning the loss of a loved one, is helped by a young family whose house he renovates." Ice Cube is the straight man here. I felt like it was false advertising.Overall, the movie was an enjoyable Hollywood flick. But my other issue was Nia Long's pregnancy. The time line was all wrong. The whole movie looked like it took place over one or two months. So how was she delivering at the end? I liked it for what it was, but it wasn't what it could have been. My kids loved it, however. They've watched it several times. Funny moments, but they all belong to McGlinley.