The unchecked enthusiasm of McGinley as the touchy-feely renovation guru gives slow-burn Cube the perfect foil and mellows the malicious comic tone. The rest is pure slapstick.
Although Ice Cube is still happy to haul out his old snarl when it serves his purposes, he's clearly trying to reinvent himself as a family entertainer. But the milder he gets, the less confident he seems. What's a reformed gangsta rapper to do?
50
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Tpicture delivers the requisite number of pratfalls, and the genial Ice Cube makes for a credibly hapless everyman, but the comedy still feels a little too safely soft around the edges.
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
New York PostLou Lumenick
While the latest installment avoids the nonstop parade of potty jokes, it never rises much past the level of mediocrity.
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
Obvious, but at least it's clean.
40
Village Voice
Village Voice
Fans of the first film can rest assured that a change in the director's chair has done little to curb the overall tone of slapstick desperation.
40
Variety
Variety
Supposedly based on "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," but has about as much to do with that frothy Cary Grant confection as a Yugo has to do with a 1948 Buick Roadster.