Father of the Bride II (1995)

Writing/directing/producing team Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers 
(NOTHING BUT TROUBLE) return with this wholly unnecessary remake-
of-a-sequel that's also a sequel-to-a-remake.  They up the ante of 
FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND (1951) by making the father of the bride 
both a daddy and a grandpa.  Mom (Diane Keaton) and Daughter 
(Kimberly Williams) pregnant together, and Dad (Steve Martin) doing 
double-takes throughout.  In real-life, such an event would take on 
a demented, tabloid edge; in Disney's white-picket world, baby baby 
translates into a mild form of wackiness that culminates with 
Martin Short sitting behind the wheel of an Explorer (what else?) 
and Dad almost landing on the wrong end of a prostrate exam.  Are 
we laughing yet?

Actually, we *would* be laughing, had these bits not already been 
shown in the trailers.  Who's idea was it to give away all the 
gags?  At least there's Steve Martin, who has more physical grace 
than most contemporary screen comedians.  Even in a subdued role in 
a subdued movie, he glides through each scene with distinctive 
flair.  Too bad the same can't be said for Martin Short and B.D. 
Wong.  As the returning Decorators from Hell, they grate more than 
they give.  And, yes, that's "SCTV" veteran Eugene Levy as the 
Middle-Eastern home buyer.  Though the marketing staff should be 
shot-- or given trophies; I can't decide which-- FATHER OF THE 
BRIDE PART II is innocuous enough.  Relentlessly cheery *and* 
extolling more family values than we've seen in several months, 
there's certainly an audience for this golden-lit world of healthy 
babies, selfless spouses, and happily-ever-after's.

Grade: B-

Copyright 1995 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros