Ice Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute moments, but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitably melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted Fry
(20 votes)
2.
Ice Cube stars in this highly entertaining family comedy as Nick Persons, a thirtysomething player with a new Lincoln Navigator, who checks out every fine lady that passes by the window of the sports collectibles store where he works with pal Marty (Jay Mohr). Decked out in all the latest bling, Nick confidently approaches his latest attraction, Suzanne, only to learn that she is a recent divorcee with two kids. Little does he know, Suzanne's children are no ordinary kids. Lindsey and Kevin (Aleisha Allen and Philip Bolden) go to extremes to keep their mom single. Putting his dislike for children on the back burner, Nick decides to pursue Suzanne anyway. He soon realizes though, that the only way to a single mother's heart is through her children. So when Suzanne needs a babysitter to transport her kids from Portland to Vancouver, Nick jumps at the chance. Getting way more than he bargained for, Nick must survive 24 hours with two kids bent on destroying him, not to mention missed flights, missed trains, run-ins with wildlife and crazed truckers, and severe car trouble. Nick challenges himself to survive the journey better than his SUV, and learns that while trying to prove himself to Suzanne, he also impresses himself.
Demonstrating his softer side, rapper-turned-actor Ice Cube (FRIDAY, BARBERSHOP) shows a flair for slapstick humor in this pleasing family picture. While humorous moments abound, ARE WE THERE YET? also tackles some serious issues. Director Brian Levant (SNOW DOGS, JINGLE ALL THE WAY) adds to his resume another fun-filled film that will have the whole family laughing.
(17 votes)
3.
Nick (Ice Cube), a smooth operator, is trying to land a date with a young, attractive divorcee, Suzanne (Nia Long). Problem is Suzanne is stuck working in Vancouver and miserable because she misses her kids. Seizing the opportunity, Nick gallantly offers to make her wish come true – and his own in the process – by bringing seven-year-old Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden) and eleven-year-old Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) up from Portland, Oregon to be reunited with their mom.
What Nick doesn’t know is that Suzanne's children think that no man is good enough for their mom and will do everything they can to make the trip a nightmare for him.
Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
(17 votes)
4.
When Nick (Ice Cube, Barbershop) falls for single mother Suzanne (Nia Long, Big Momma's House), he initially doesn't have to worry about what her kids think of him because she just wants to "be friends." Undeterred by this statement - or his buddies, who dog him for loitering in the stalking-friend zone - Nick keeps hanging around. So when Suzanne finds herself in a jam and needs someone to escort her kids to meet her in Vancouver for New Year's Eve, Nick gladly opens the door of opportunity. It could be the best way to win her heart...or the biggest mistake of his life. With more than one destination on his mind, Nick embarks on a road trip he'll never forget - and neither will you!
(18 votes)
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