Movie Review by Neils Hesse
Starring: Ice Cube, Nia Long, Jay Mohr, M C Gainey, Aleisha Allen, Philip Bolden
Director: Brian Levant
Nick Persons (Ice Cube) is your basic player with a big flashy car and he is very single. He’s at the top of his game until one day from his shop window he sees a woman (Nia Long) of such captivating beauty that he is convinced it’s love at first sight. As he approaches her though, he sees her kids, which is no go territory for a player so he quickly aborts his mission.
Fate plays a hand in Nick’s life as he ends up giving a lift to the very same woman that he avoided because of her kids. Then she somehow gets him to give her a lift to work the very next day and the days after until finally he tries to make his move, but she rebuffs him and suggests that they should just be friends.
Yet again fate presents Nick with a golden opportunity to score some brownie points with Suzanne whilst he is dropping her off at the airport. Suzanne’s ex-husband cancels at the last minute so she is stuck without anyone to look after her kids so Nick offers to help her out by taking her kids to Canada to join her for New Year’s Eve. Little does Nick know that the kids he is about to take on are skilled in warding off any man who is interested in their mum and this is where the fun begins.
Director Brian Levant has made a sweet family film, schmaltzy in parts but nevertheless entertaining. He has unashamedly made the story straight forward and predictable which the family audience will find appealing.
Ice Cube handles himself well along side the two child actors, Aleisha Allen and Philip Bolden. He convincingly portrays the apparently materialistic player who turns out to actually be a very down to earth guy.
Perhaps too sweet for some but for families and I stress families, ARE WE THERE YET? is an enjoyably entertaining film with some good laughs. Watch out for the fight scene that involves a startled deer!
