Aleisha Allen
Having decided to ditch the city in favor of the suburbs, a newly formed family purchases a quaint "fixer-upper" that proves to be more trouble than they could have ever anticipated in a rollicking family comedy that's half sequel to Are We There Yet?, and half remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Nick (Ice Cube) and Suzanne (Nia Long) have tied the knot, and now the couple is looking for a suitable home in which to raise their family. What better place to bring up adolescents Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden) than a quiet house in the suburbs? Despite their outward excitement at the prospect of moving into their very own home, the family soon discovers that dreams don't come easy as eccentric contractor Chuck Mitchell (John C. McGinley) clashes with the head of the family while forming a frustratingly close bond with his wife and two step-children. As the promising fixer-upper begins to pose a serious threat to the burgeoning family's bank account, Nick gradually begins to realize that the suburban dream doesn't come cheap. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Rapper and actor Ice Cube shows off his softer side in this family-friendly comedy. Nick Persons (Ice Cube) is a dealer in sports collectibles who has fallen for beautiful executive Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long). However, Nick discovers he has a bigger task than just winning her over -- Suzanne is a divorced mother with two children, Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden), and the kids don't believe any man besides their father is fit for their mother to date. Even though Nick doesn't care much for kids, he's eager to win Lindsey and Kevin over to score points with Suzanne, and so when business commitments threaten to strand Suzanne in Vancouver without her children for New Year's Eve, Nick volunteers to escort them. But when Nick is bumped from an airline flight due to a corkscrew in his pocket, he's forced to drive the kids to Canada, and Lindsey and Kevin see this as a golden opportunity to make life very difficult for Nick. Ice Cube served as both star and producer for this project. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The world's least-employable heavy metal guitarist is entrusted with the minds of upstate New York's best and brightest in this fish-out-of-water comedy. Jack Black plays Dewey Finn, axe-bearer for a fitfully successful bar band determined to win a regional battle-of-the-bands competition. There's only one thing standing in their way: the self-indulgent solos and crowd-diving antics of their "embarrassing" lead guitarist. When his band votes him out in favor of a would-be rock god, Dewey has to make the rent somehow, and after intercepting a call for his substitute-teacher roomie Ned (Mike White), the pot-bellied slacker finds himself in front of a class of elite elementary school students. At a loss for a lesson plan, Dewey takes offense at the pre-teen prodigies' staid musical regimen and makes it his goal to preach them the gospel of The Who, Led Zeppelin, and AC/DC -- with the ulterior motive of getting them to compete against his former band for a cash prize. But no matter how willing his pupils, Dewey runs up against the consternation of the school's stern headmistress Principal Mullins (Joan Cusack), the battle-of-the-bands' promoter (Frank Whaley), and not least, his identity-deprived roomie Ned. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Black, Joan Cusack, (more)
