RV

Quickly, name the last funny movie you saw that starred Robin Williams. Some might argue for 2005's animated feature Robots, though just as many would call his performance predictable and annoying. The comedic roles before that are just as dubious. Patch Adams … Father's Day … Flubber … The Birdcage. Browse through his filmography for yourself, but many would agree that you have to go back to Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993 to find a true comedic hit from the popular actor, his dramatic work notwithstanding.

Hard to say where RV falls in that range, but it's neither his best comedic work, nor his worst. That should come as little surprise with this variation on the family road trip movie, epitomized by National Lampoon's Vacation with Chevy Chase. After all, the film was written by Geoff Rodkey, whose most recent credits include 2006's remake of The Shaggy Dog with Tim Allen and 2003's Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy. And though director Barry Sonnenfeld has had his share of comedy classics (Men in Black, The Addams Family), he's also had his misfires (Wild Wild West).

Williams plays Bob Munro, an overworked family man who plans to take his wife Jamie (Cheryl Hines from HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm) and two children on a summer vacation to Hawaii. But then his smarmy boss tells Bob that he's needed for an important presentation in Colorado that same week. And since 15-year-old Cassie (teen pop artist JoJo) and 12-year-old Carl (Josh Hutcherson from Kicking and Screaming) have other plans for the remainder of the summer, the vacation time can't be delayed.

So at the last minute, without consulting his family or explaining the truth to them, Bob decides to rent a recreational vehicle for a trip to his childhood getaway ...

 You have reached the end of this Article Preview

To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access.

Log inSubscribe

Already a CT subscriber? Log in for full digital access.