Are We Done Yet? (PG, 2007)

In ARE WE DONE YET? -- a loose remake of the Cary Grant-Myrna Loy classic Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House -- Nick (Ice Cube) shares a crowded apartment with his new wife, Suzanne (Nia Long) and her two kids, with a new pair of twins on the way. The clan leaves Portland for the country to renovate a grand 19th-century mansion -- which, as it turns out, basically needs to be gutted and rebuilt, plank-by-plank and pipe-by-pipe. Hovering over every step of the process is town realtor/contractor/inspector/counselor/midwife Chuck (John C. McGinley). Having sold the fixer-upper, Chuck becomes persona non grata to Nick, but the rest of the family adores his quirky, all-knowing ways -- even moody 13-year-old Lindsey (Aleisha Allen), who's too boy-crazy to notice much of anyone.

At this point, it's safe to wonder whether there will ever be a family comedy that doesn't show a father getting smacked in the face with flying kitchen debris or in the groin with, well, anything pain-inducing. The omission of those trite sight gags would be a novel idea indeed, but the sequel to Are We There Yet? isn't original enough to survive without such familiar scenes. That said, it is much better (and cleaner) than the original.

McGinley steals the show with Chuck's goofy-but-wise antics and exhaustive résumé (he's an expert in Capoiera, a former L.A. Laker, and a championship power-walker). Meanwhile, Long -- a lovely and talented actress -- seems decorative by comparison, which is a shame, since she's got great comic timing. Despite the all-too-familiar nature of its home-improvement jokes and teenage-daughter dilemmas, some families might get a belly laugh or two out of this formulaic film. Just don't expect a trilogy.

Studio: Revolution Studios
Director: Steve Carr
Cast: Ice Cube, John C. McGinley, Nia Long
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 92 minutes
Theatrical release: April 4, 2007
DVD release: August 7, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG
MPAA explanation: some innuendos and brief language.