Are We There Yet
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
There really isn’t much difference between “Are We There Yet�, and the typical, run of the mill Disney comedy. It’s a simple premise: two kids get a grownup into all kinds of mischief and slapstick situations. There are vomit jokes, car accident gags, and grownups making huge pratfalls and being pummeled by kids and farm animals. Kids will laugh their heads off while their adult companions will either laugh with them or shake their heads in disbelief.
However, there’s a very big difference between this film and those other films. This is one of the rare occasions where an African American character is called to take those pratfalls and pummels to the delight of young moviegoers.
Ice Cube, who has made a living making music and movies targeted for teens and adults to enjoy, has now expanded the level of his game by making a film for children to enjoy. In the film, Cube plays Nick, an owner of a sports memorabilia store who is instantly smitten by party planner/single mother Suzanne (Nia Long). Nick’s efforts to smoothly slide his way into Suzanne’s good graces eventually land him in the dreaded “friend zone�. Once he finds out that Suzanne has 2 kids-the smart aleck, diva-in-training Lindsey (Aleshia Allen) and the mischievous Kevin (Philip Bolden), and also considering the fact that he’s not too crazy about kids (as shown in a funny scene inside Nick’s store), he decides that the “friend zone� would probably be the best place for him to be.
But, as fate would have it, Suzanne ends up with a jam when her kids’ father flakes out on picking them up on New Year’s Eve, potentially threatening her job (planning a big New Year’s party) because no one will be available to take care of the kids.
As Nick sees Suzanne’s huge crocodile tears on her beautifully made-up face, he decides to save the day by volunteering to (safely) bring the kids to Suzanne’s New Year’s bash. It sounds like a brilliant and simple plan, give or take a few glitches…like the corkscrew incident at the airport, Nick falling off a moving train, numerous incidents on the road in Nick’s new souped-up Lincoln Navigator involving mad truck drivers, truck stop marquees with 12 foot tall lumberjacks, the aforementioned vomit, and, most of all, Lindsey and Kevin’s nonstop attempts to sabotage, ditch, and ultimately wreck havoc upon this good Samaritan who’s got the hots for their mom. Over the course of the next few hours (but only 90 minutes of screen time, however), hilarity…as the saying goes…ensues.
In Ice Cube’s earlier comedies (the two Barbershop films, the 3 films in the Friday series), Cube usually plays the straight man who reacts to everything around him while his co-stars carry the brunt of the laughs. This time, Cube’s the fall guy. He’s thrown across a road due to an electric shock, he takes countless shots to the “you-know-where� at the hands of children and that aforementioned 12 ft tall lumberjack, and he even gets his butt kicked by a deer. As I said before, you’ve seen that kind of abuse taken in countless movies. It’s silly, but the kids laugh in their popcorn buckets. In the end, that’s what matters most: the kids in the theatre laughing. Cube definitely gives them plenty to laugh at.
We’ve seen Cube battle gangstas in the hood, snakes in the Amazon jungle, and unscrupulous businessmen. However, he has clearly met his match with these 2 kids! They’re bold, brassy and sassy (my grandmother could’ve easily handled them, but this ain’t reality, this is Saturday afternoon matinee-land!) they fight hard and dirty. But it’s for a good purpose: protecting the heart of their dear mother…while clinging onto a childlike hope for a happy ending between their mom and dad. Reality eventually sets in, and Cube is there to soften the blow. These kids make Cube’s character work triple overtime to win their respect, trust, and eventually, love. Some may find that hokey and formulaic. I find it sweet…and very necessary in light of how African American men have been portrayed in both film and real life.
A few folks have questioned Ice Cube’s motivation for making a film such as this. They still perceive him to be the angry ghetto prophet in his NWA days. Many still see him as the down and dirty soldier in the hood (like his character Doughboy in “Boyz N The Hood�) and have made statements denigrating his desire to make a family friendly film (even going so far as to accuse him of “selling out�.) This sort of attitude implies that those artists in the hip-hop community have the inability to grow up and transition into a more mature stage of life. Just as the teenagers who flocked to see “Boyz N The Hood� 14 years ago have now grown up, gotten married, had kids and gone on with their lives, Ice Cube and other hip-hop artists have done the same thing. That 18 year old crazy so-and so named Ice Cube has evolved into a 30-something year old businessman with a wife and kids of his own. Those of us who grew up with his music now get to take our children to see this flick. That’s a testament to Cube’s personal growth and evolution as an artist as well as a man. This film will expand his audience even further. For those who like the rough and rumble Cube portrayed on his records, don’t worry. The XXX sequel will be in theatres in a couple of months. Hold your breaths till then!
Furthermore, it must be noted that there have not been many films created with African-American children both in cast and target audience. African American artists have remained in a critical fight to see their images displayed alongside other artists on the movie screen. I saw this film in an audience full of African American children and their parents. I was very proud as I saw their little faces laughing at the screen. This film is one of the few times where our children get to see an image of themselves on screen. “Are We There Yet� is by no means a 4-star film, nor is the behavior of the kids in the film one for our kids to imitate and emulate. But, if our kids can laugh at Disney comedies and other films like “Problem Child�, “Home Alone�, or even Bart Simpson on TV for that matter, why can’t they laugh heartily at this film? “Are We There Yet� is a welcome sight and gives me hope for the future. Hopefully the same audiences-regardless of race or color-who flock to Disney comedies, will flock to this one as well.
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
There really isn’t much difference between “Are We There Yet�, and the typical, run of the mill Disney comedy. It’s a simple premise: two kids get a grownup into all kinds of mischief and slapstick situations. There are vomit jokes, car accident gags, and grownups making huge pratfalls and being pummeled by kids and farm animals. Kids will laugh their heads off while their adult companions will either laugh with them or shake their heads in disbelief.However, there’s a very big difference between this film and those other films. This is one of the rare occasions where an African American character is called to take those pratfalls and pummels to the delight of young moviegoers.
Ice Cube, who has made a living making music and movies targeted for teens and adults to enjoy, has now expanded the level of his game by making a film for children to enjoy. In the film, Cube plays Nick, an owner of a sports memorabilia store who is instantly smitten by party planner/single mother Suzanne (Nia Long). Nick’s efforts to smoothly slide his way into Suzanne’s good graces eventually land him in the dreaded “friend zone�. Once he finds out that Suzanne has 2 kids-the smart aleck, diva-in-training Lindsey (Aleshia Allen) and the mischievous Kevin (Philip Bolden), and also considering the fact that he’s not too crazy about kids (as shown in a funny scene inside Nick’s store), he decides that the “friend zone� would probably be the best place for him to be.But, as fate would have it, Suzanne ends up with a jam when her kids’ father flakes out on picking them up on New Year’s Eve, potentially threatening her job (planning a big New Year’s party) because no one will be available to take care of the kids.
As Nick sees Suzanne’s huge crocodile tears on her beautifully made-up face, he decides to save the day by volunteering to (safely) bring the kids to Suzanne’s New Year’s bash. It sounds like a brilliant and simple plan, give or take a few glitches…like the corkscrew incident at the airport, Nick falling off a moving train, numerous incidents on the road in Nick’s new souped-up Lincoln Navigator involving mad truck drivers, truck stop marquees with 12 foot tall lumberjacks, the aforementioned vomit, and, most of all, Lindsey and Kevin’s nonstop attempts to sabotage, ditch, and ultimately wreck havoc upon this good Samaritan who’s got the hots for their mom. Over the course of the next few hours (but only 90 minutes of screen time, however), hilarity…as the saying goes…ensues.In Ice Cube’s earlier comedies (the two Barbershop films, the 3 films in the Friday series), Cube usually plays the straight man who reacts to everything around him while his co-stars carry the brunt of the laughs. This time, Cube’s the fall guy. He’s thrown across a road due to an electric shock, he takes countless shots to the “you-know-where� at the hands of children and that aforementioned 12 ft tall lumberjack, and he even gets his butt kicked by a deer. As I said before, you’ve seen that kind of abuse taken in countless movies. It’s silly, but the kids laugh in their popcorn buckets. In the end, that’s what matters most: the kids in the theatre laughing. Cube definitely gives them plenty to laugh at.
We’ve seen Cube battle gangstas in the hood, snakes in the Amazon jungle, and unscrupulous businessmen. However, he has clearly met his match with these 2 kids! They’re bold, brassy and sassy (my grandmother could’ve easily handled them, but this ain’t reality, this is Saturday afternoon matinee-land!) they fight hard and dirty. But it’s for a good purpose: protecting the heart of their dear mother…while clinging onto a childlike hope for a happy ending between their mom and dad. Reality eventually sets in, and Cube is there to soften the blow. These kids make Cube’s character work triple overtime to win their respect, trust, and eventually, love. Some may find that hokey and formulaic. I find it sweet…and very necessary in light of how African American men have been portrayed in both film and real life.
A few folks have questioned Ice Cube’s motivation for making a film such as this. They still perceive him to be the angry ghetto prophet in his NWA days. Many still see him as the down and dirty soldier in the hood (like his character Doughboy in “Boyz N The Hood�) and have made statements denigrating his desire to make a family friendly film (even going so far as to accuse him of “selling out�.) This sort of attitude implies that those artists in the hip-hop community have the inability to grow up and transition into a more mature stage of life. Just as the teenagers who flocked to see “Boyz N The Hood� 14 years ago have now grown up, gotten married, had kids and gone on with their lives, Ice Cube and other hip-hop artists have done the same thing. That 18 year old crazy so-and so named Ice Cube has evolved into a 30-something year old businessman with a wife and kids of his own. Those of us who grew up with his music now get to take our children to see this flick. That’s a testament to Cube’s personal growth and evolution as an artist as well as a man. This film will expand his audience even further. For those who like the rough and rumble Cube portrayed on his records, don’t worry. The XXX sequel will be in theatres in a couple of months. Hold your breaths till then!
Furthermore, it must be noted that there have not been many films created with African-American children both in cast and target audience. African American artists have remained in a critical fight to see their images displayed alongside other artists on the movie screen. I saw this film in an audience full of African American children and their parents. I was very proud as I saw their little faces laughing at the screen. This film is one of the few times where our children get to see an image of themselves on screen. “Are We There Yet� is by no means a 4-star film, nor is the behavior of the kids in the film one for our kids to imitate and emulate. But, if our kids can laugh at Disney comedies and other films like “Problem Child�, “Home Alone�, or even Bart Simpson on TV for that matter, why can’t they laugh heartily at this film? “Are We There Yet� is a welcome sight and gives me hope for the future. Hopefully the same audiences-regardless of race or color-who flock to Disney comedies, will flock to this one as well.—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
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