There once was a time when Robin Williams was considered to be a huge draw in the family film market. After the smash success stories of
Hook,
Mrs. Doubtfire and
Aladdin, Williams finally found his niche market and continued making projects aimed at younger audiences for many years after. He would occassionally venture into adult fare, but it never took itself too seriously and he always charmed the audience with his hilarious antics. But after he recieved an Academy Award for his role in
Good Will Hunting, Williams slowly ventured away from the family market - beginning to work in more serious adult fare. Now, many years later, he returns to the genre that made him a household name with
R.V., the latest from director Barry Sonnenfeld. Unfortunately, while the film is occassionally a cute diversion, it doesn't measure up to his films of the past in terms of both heart and humor.
The story follows Bob Munro (Robin Williams), an overworked dad who feels his family slowly starting to fall apart. His teenage daughter Cassie (Joanna "JoJo" Levesque) barely speaks to him, his son Carl (Josh Hutcherson) seems incredibly preoccupied and his wife (Cheryl Hines) is loving but distant. When his boss (Will Arnett) gives him a job that requires his presence in the mountains of Colorado, Bob sees this as the perfect opportunity to get his family back together again. He spontaneously rents an R.V. and packs up the family, leading them under the false illusion that they are traveling to a lake for vacation.
Along the way, everything that could go wrong does, as Bob and his family go through every disaster in the book. They also come across a strange family of peppy individuals who live and breathe for the R.V. world. Travis (Jeff Daniels) and Marie Jo (Kristin Chenoweth) are friendly people who the Monroes initially dismiss, but when Bob leaves one of his valuables behind - this family will stop at nothing to return it to its rightful owner. The typical family film features such as a moral and resolution are both present here, and everything is resolved in a cute-and-cuddly ending - just as one would expect.
R.V. is a fairly good idea, taking the basic premise from
National Lampoon's Vacation, but screenwriter Geoff Rodkey (who penned the atrocious
Daddy Day Care) doesn't seem to know who his audience is. The film is littered with subtle adult humor and sexual references, but they seem incredibly out of place in between lame jokes aimed at the younger market. Instead of keeping the focus on these memorable one-liners and playing up their significance, the dialogue is dumbed-down with lots of crude and disgusting humor present. One scene, in which Williams is literally covered in another person's fecal matter, had me covering my eyes in disgust. Also, when the film tries to be heartwarming, it comes off as rather cheesy and unrealistic instead of giving the movie some emotional backing.
Thankfully, direction by Sonnenfeld is better. Known for his big budget work on the
Men In Black movies and
Wild Wild West, Sonnenfeld keeps everything moving at just the right pace, ensuring that the film he has made is never boring or slow. He also uses the landscapes that his characters travel through to success, conveying the overall beauty of the environment that surrounds us.
Performances are average for the most part. The scene-stealers by far are Kristin Chenoweth and Jeff Daniels, who play a fun and likable couple with many hilarious scenes. Both satirizing and honoring the so-called "redneck" image, these two actors are incredibly charming and give very successful comedic performances. One almost wishes that the film follows them and their misadventures instead of Williams and his family. Robin Williams is not at the top of his game here, and he actually seems to know that. It's a shame to see such a highly regarded comedian reduced to vile jokes and ridiculous dialogue. He has certainly done much better work. Cheryl Hines is alright as the mother, playing the typical role for any film of this genre. Teen pop star JoJo is decent enough, but really isn't given much to do once past the initial setup. One of the biggest disappointments is bright young talent Josh Hutcherson. After delivering a fantastic performance in the underrated gem
Little Manhattan, he is slumming it here as a wannabe gangster kid who spends most of his time dressing ghetto and listening to rap music.
Overall,
RV can be an entertaining film at times and it is certainly never boring. There is a lot of potential underneath, but unfortunately most of the time it settles for comedic sequences which fail much more often than they succeed. Because of the spunky performances from Chenoweth and Daniels, this film earns a passing grade and a slight recommendation. But a trip on this
RV may be better suited for a DVD.
6/10 (C+)
