Daddy Day Camp DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Latest Cuba Gooding Dud Out on DVD

Perhaps I spoke prematurely when I suggested in my review of License to Wed that Robin Williams had replaced Cuba “Show me the money!” Gooding, Jr. as the kiss of death on a picture. Not to be outdone, Cuba has staked a claim for a return of his crown as the “King of the Bomb” with Daddy Day Camp, a sorry sequel to Daddy Day Care.
Here, he has taken on the unenviable task of trying to fill the shoes of Eddie Murphy, who opted not to reprise the lead role of Charlie Hinton. It doesn’t help that Cuba has no sense of comedic timing and that he’s relying on an abysmal script of disconnected skits cobbled together by a quintet of hack screenwriters. To make matters worse, the entire cast has been overhauled, with Charlie’s son Ben being played by Spencir Bridges, son of Todd “What You Talking about Willis?” Bridges of Different Strokes fame.
Strangely, the movie opens with a tie-in reminding us about Eddie and company’s wacky antics in the original. Soon enough, we find Charlie and his best friend Phil (Paul Rae replacing Jeff Garlin) escorting their sons to Camp Driftwood only to find the place in foreclosure. Of course, the daddy duo decides to purchase the place and go into the day camp business.
Next thing you know, they have their hands full with gleefully misbehaving little monsters who keep the pair up to their eyeballs in feces, cooties, bus crashes, flatulence, projectile vomit, poison ivy, swift kicks to the crotch, urine balloons and wedgies. Fortunately, Charlie’s no-nonsense father, retired Marine Colonel Buck Hinton.
An utterly predictable, unfunny, infantile test of patience and waste of ninety minutes of my life I can never get back. Show me the exit!

Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG for bodily humor and mild epithets.
Running time: 93 minutes
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: “The Making of” featurette, an interactive quiz, and more.