simonsorenkawasaki This movie is not good. Seriously. Skip it. The sappy and eye-rolling messages and whimsical moments make the movie cliched, unoriginal and uninspired. I could see this movie made in the eighties.

djfrost-46786 Very cute movie, worth to watch. Billy was very funny

Python Hyena Parental Guidance (2012): Dir: Andy Fickman / Cast: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, Bailee Madison: Family comedy about limits. In this case Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play grandparents who haven't seen their grandchildren in a while. When given the opportunity they are met with the reality of change. Crystal plays a passionate sports announcer who loses his job. Their daughter is played by Marisa Tomei whose husband is off on a business trip. She is suppose to accompany him but her fear of her parents unable to deal with the children hold her back. The plot is simple and the structure is more or less just a series of screw ups with regards to cultural differences in raising children. The ending is no surprise but director Andy Fickman does his best with a theme he employed in The Game Plan and You Again. This is not much of an improvement but at least Crystal and Midler provide their share of amusing moments as they struggle to adapt to their daughter's methods of raising their children. Marisa Tomei is limited as their daughter, whose best scene has her being a good sport receiving a cake splat in the face. Tom Everett Scott as her husband is given even less to do other than video chat as a plot filler. Their children are cookie cutter at best. We have the violinist who pushes herself too hard. We have a kid with an overacting stutter. More embarrassing is the kid with an imaginary kangaroo. While the message of parenting and the cultural changes from generations is present the only guidance needed is for a better screenwriter. Score: 5 / 10

William Reid Billy Crystal's movie career has been hit or miss. Alright, mostly miss. Too bad there's no three strike rule in Hollywood. (Although why Crystal never had a TV show, where his lovable cozy charm might work, I don't know.) Here his talents are wasted. It's painfully bad. Blame the writing. This movie isn't the worst I've ever sat through. I mean, it's no 'Jerry'. But it's bad. If you have a ten minute rule about watching movies then you might want to consider having a five minute rule. But frankly, this doesn't pass the smell test after one minute. They keep selling it as a family movie. Maybe the family from 'Honey Boo Boo' but for anyone else it's a stinker.