Are We Done Yet? DVD

Are We Done Yet?
Ice Cube, Nia Long, John C. McGinley
Directed by Steve Carr
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 2007
92 minutes

Are We Done Yet, like its prequel Are We There Yet? is a very enjoyable family oriented comedy DVD that really works and doesn’t dumb it down. Are We Done Yet most certainly does not reinvent the wheel when it comes to comedy but what it does with a pretty standard seen it before story, coupled with some very good acting by Ice Cube and Nia Long (you actually believe they are a couple) as well as John C. McGinley, works. There maybe a lot of déjà vu here but there are also a few original twists and surprises that make this a fun DVD watching experience.

Are We Done Yet follows the continuing adventures of the Persons family as they slowly become a reconstituted family and move to the burbs. Nick (Ice Cube) is now the publisher of a sports magazine and he buys a very beautiful old home on a very large piece of property. The house looks great though it is immediately apparent to everybody but the Persons family that the old house may have a, a few, many flaws.  The family buys the house and, of course, ends up having to spend twice as much money renovating it. This is done with the help of contractor Chuck (McGinley), the guy who sold them the house in the first place and is also the city inspector, a midwife, a dog trainer, a former NBA bench warmer, a Goodwill Games athlete, a naturopath, and a few other things that go well with his many personalities and, as he puts it, chapeaus.

There are many old home renovation comedies and many a comedy about being a reconstituted family out there. Are We Done Yet, a sort of remake of an old RKO movie, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, borrows from similar movies who themselves borrowed from the Blandings movie. This one works because this movie is very likeable and it never insults your intelligence or goes for gross out jokes.

This family comedy DVD also works because although it does follow quite a few time proven home renovation comedy formulas it manages to create a couple of classic scenes of its own, such as the guys with the pipes, the squirrel incident that is not for the very, very little ones, and another that you just have to see.

There is something for the whole family watching the Are We Done Yet? DVD. Pretty soon after that though, you’ll find yourself thinking, “Hey, we should get Are We Done Yet? it looks like fun.” It is.

Extras include a behind the scenes making of, bloopers, a quiz about the movie the kids will like, and a short feature about character Chuck Mitchell.

 

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