[Murphy's] charming enough in this restrained mode.
Daddy Day Care (2003)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:8
Rotten:25
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: Daddy Day Care does its job of babysitting the tots. Anyone older will probably be bored.
Theatrical Release:May 9, 2003 Wide
Box Office: $104,080,851
Synopsis: The dads are in charge. And the kids are all right. Charlie (Eddie Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) are so consumed by their high profile advertising jobs that they are completely missing out on... The dads are in charge. And the kids are all right. Charlie (Eddie Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) are so consumed by their high profile advertising jobs that they are completely missing out on the joys of fatherhood. In the wonderful new family comedy Daddy Day Care, however, their kids provide them with a crash course in child rearing, with uproarious and heartwarming results. After failing to excite the public about vegetable cereal, Charlie and Phil are fired from their ad jobs. That means no more expensive day care for their sons at the exclusive Chapman Academy, run by the harsh taskmistress Miss Gwyneth Harridan (Anjelica Huston). While floundering aimlessly in search of employment and tending to his four-year-old son Ben (Khamani Griffin) during the day while his wife Kim (Regina King) is at work, Charlie has an idea. If he and Phil can handle taking care of two kids, how much harder can it be to supervise ten? Much harder than they ever imagined. Every kid is different and every one is a hilarious challenge, whether they're suffering from sugar rush, fantasizing about being super heroes, or just demolishing everything in sight, Charlie and Phil soon realize they are in over their heads. Way over their heads. But slowly they get the hang of it and their new venture "Daddy Day Care" thrives, siphoning kids away from the stuffy Chapman school. As the number of kids increases, they bring in a third caretaker, Marvin (Steve Zahn), who seems to speak the children's language, probably because he's just an overgrown kid himself. They teach the kids how to read, play games, interact, and have fun at the same time. Charlie and Phil gradually bond with their sons, coming to fully appreciate the priceless joys of fatherhood. However, the better "Daddy Day Care" works, the more threatened Gwyneth Harridan becomes, which leads to a showdown. Now it's the daddies against the baddest mother of them all. [More]
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Anjelica Huston, Regina King
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Anjelica Huston, Regina King, Steve Zahn, Lacey Chabert, Laura Kightlinger, Kevin Nealon, Siobhan Fallon, Khamani Griffin
Director: Steve Carr
Director: Steve Carr
Screenwriter: Geoff Rodkey
Producer: John Davis, Matt Berenson, Wyck Godfrey
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Reviews for Daddy Day Care
Murphy is so oddly bland in Daddy Day Care that it seems like he sleepwalked through the making of the film.
I don't know whether [Murphy] has lost his mojo, or just his edge. I just hope he finds it before his next movie.
Murphy is now as sweet and safe as Jell-O pudding. And about as exciting.
Eddie Murphy hasn't made a good movie in so long, I'm starting to think his bad choices are deliberate.
The most astonishing thing about Daddy Day Care, a comedy that would have to work harder even to justify the appellation uninspired, is that a kick in the groin is now a joke for toddlers.
Nothing that happens in the story will surprise anyone who's been watching movies for longer than the last two weeks.
Only really little tykes will find the surplus of pratfalls and poo and fart jokes a hoot.
Daddy Day Care may communicate with kids, too, but it should have spent a little more time communing with the comedy gods.
If you attend the movie with your expectations lowered by Murphy's recent films, you'll be reasonably amused.
Latest News for Daddy Day Care
August 09, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Chan and Tucker Back in Action
Another wide assortment of summer offerings will hit the multiplexes across North America this weekend. The action-comedy sequel Rush Hour 3 leads the way as the main course and... More...
April 29, 2003:
With Eddie Murphy's grown-up films flopping (Showtime, The Adventures of Pluto Nash), another kid flick seems like a wise choice. ![]()
More...
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