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Movies / On DVD / Daddy Day Care
Daddy Day Care

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Daddy Day Care (2003)

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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.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for language

Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins

Genre: Comedies

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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Release:

Jun 14, 2005

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Reviews for Daddy Day Care

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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[Murphy's] charming enough in this restrained mode.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
05/13/03
Ed Park
Ed Park
Village Voice
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It's one of the worst movies of the year.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
05/12/03
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
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Murphy is so oddly bland in Daddy Day Care that it seems like he sleepwalked through the making of the film.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
05/09/03
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
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Tepid attempt at comedy.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
05/09/03
Peter Howell
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
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A harmless and amusing summer comedy.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
05/09/03
C.W. Nevius
C.W. Nevius
San Francisco Chronicle
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Murphy looks comatose delivering the played-out poopy jokes.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/09/03
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
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I don't know whether [Murphy] has lost his mojo, or just his edge. I just hope he finds it before his next movie.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
05/09/03
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Murphy is now as sweet and safe as Jell-O pudding. And about as exciting.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
05/09/03
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
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Eddie Murphy hasn't made a good movie in so long, I'm starting to think his bad choices are deliberate.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
05/09/03
Eric Harrison
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
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Family films we need. Films like this, we never need.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
05/09/03
Tom Long
Tom Long
Detroit News
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A scentless bouquet of potty jokes, crotch kicks, and Scooter-P.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
05/09/03
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
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Easy-on-the -sensibilities family film.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/09/03
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
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Rent Mr. Mom instead, and have a family night in.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
05/09/03
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News
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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.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/09/03
Elvis Mitchell
Elvis Mitchell
New York Times
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Nothing that happens in the story will surprise anyone who's been watching movies for longer than the last two weeks.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
05/09/03
Jason Anderson
Jason Anderson
Globe and Mail
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Only really little tykes will find the surplus of pratfalls and poo and fart jokes a hoot.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
05/09/03
Megan Lehmann
Megan Lehmann
New York Post
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Daddy Day Care may communicate with kids, too, but it should have spent a little more time communing with the comedy gods.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
05/09/03
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
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A film so wrong-headed audiences will be more appalled than amused.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
05/09/03
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Made with care and intelligence as well as a sense of fun.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
05/09/03
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com
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If you attend the movie with your expectations lowered by Murphy's recent films, you'll be reasonably amused.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/09/03
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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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. Opens in new window
More...

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