Can a 1948 Cary Grant classic survive a 2007 slapstick comedy remake?
In short: The 2007 family comedy Are We Done Yet? serves as both a sequel to a previous hit and a modern reimagining of the 1948 film Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Despite a recognizable star and a familiar premise, the production faced harsh critical reception upon its release.
Directed by Steve Carr and starring Ice Cube, the 2007 film Are We Done Yet? follows the domestic chaos of Nick Persons as he attempts to relocate his family to a country home. The narrative centers on the renovation of a house that quickly devolves into a series of mishaps involving an eccentric contractor named Chuck Mitchell Jr. The plot draws heavily from the 1948 RKO Pictures production Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, which starred Cary Grant, though it updates the setting to a fictionalized version of Newberg, Oregon.
The film’s reception was notably polarized between professional critics and general audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a 7% approval rating from 91 critics, with an average score of 3.4/10. Metacritic assigned it a score of 36 out of 100, reflecting generally unfavorable reviews. Critics often cited generic slapstick and uninspired writing as primary flaws. Conversely, audiences polled by CinemaScore awarded the film a B grade, suggesting a disconnect between professional assessment and viewer enjoyment.
Despite the critical panning, the film achieved a worldwide gross of $58.4 million against a $28 million budget. Some reviewers, such as Nathan Rabin, found Ice Cube’s performance strangely charming, while others, like Neil Smith, argued that the supporting performance by John C. McGinley was the film's only saving grace. The project remains a curious example of how a classic Hollywood premise can be adapted for a modern franchise, even when the resulting product struggles to find favor with the critical establishment.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Are We Done Yet?
- Also: Are We Done Yet?
- Also: Wikidata — Are We Done Yet? · CC0
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