CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2

US, 2005, 94 minutes, Colour.
Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, Carmen Electra, Jaime King, Hilary Duff.
Directed by Adam Shankman.

Family films don’t come bigger than this – well, actually, there is a remake of the 1968 comedy, Yours, Mine and Ours where husband and wife bring 8 plus 9 children from previous marriages! This time it is just a Baker’s dozen (that’s the actual name of the large family).

The original film, from 1950, had a quiet charm. Of all actors, Clifton Webb was the acerbic father and Myrna Loy the soothe-all mother. Their sequel focussed on the daughters of the family. It was called Belles on their Toes.

No such charm, no such reticence in the 21st century remakes, Cheaper by the Dozen and, prosaically, Cheaper by the Dozen 2. And there is absolutely no quiet. A quick review of this sequel would be that it is infinitely better than the first film. But, that is not saying very much. The first was raucous with a frantic Steve Martin and a gaggle of obnoxious children who spent a lot of the film squabbling and/or being mischievous.

This one is far more genial, even some niceness in the behaviour of the children who are actually growing up better behaved than you might have imagined. There are also some touches of romance in the air. As Dad, Martin does a whole lot of mugging with some overly intrusive parental control. He is also in consuming competitiveness with a successful businessman who was a rival back in schooldays - played with his customary double-take humour by Eugene Levy.

Bonnie Hunt manages to survive the proceedings by bringing sweetness and light and infinite tolerance as the unflappably wise mother of the dozen.

1.The comedy in itself? As a sequel to the 2003 film? In comparisons with the original of 1950?

2.A piece of Americana, large American families? The city locations, college? The contrast with the lake, the holiday atmosphere? The musical score?

3.The basic plot: families, bonds, clashes? Births? Graduations? Family rivalries? How well-developed the themes – or conventional?

4.Tom and Kate Baker, their twelve children, going to Lorraine’s graduation? The celebration? The other members of the family, Nora and her pregnancy, her husband? The younger children and mischief?

5.Tom and his regrets that the family are scattering? The decision to go to the lake? The memories of the vacations at the lake? Kate agreeing? The wariness of the children? Packing up, travelling, the mishaps? The arrival?

6.The holiday, things going wrong? The contrast with the Murtaughs? The discovery of the rivalry, Tom and Jimmy, their past? Petty rivalry? Tom and his being even more petty?

7.The relationship between the two families? Jimmy and his wealth, buying up the land? Showing people around his property, the house? Serena as the trophy wife? The well-behaved children?

8.The contrast with the Bakers? Yet the friendship between the various children? Charlie and Anne, their meeting, their relationship? Sarah and Elliot? Sarah and the shoplifting?

9.The Labor Day sports meeting, Tom and his wanting to win? The comedy of training the children for the competition? The children not showing up? Tom and his determination, childish? The children who help

10.The competition, the various races? The tie? Nora going into labour? The hospital? The birth?

11.The return to the lake? The happy ending, for the family? And the comedy with the future of the Murtaugh family?