Are We There Yet?

Amazon.com

Ice Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute moments, but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitably melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted Fry

Customer Reviews:

Funny and Family-Friendly, But Nothing Special.......2007-09-10

Nick Persons (Ice Cube) is a swinging bachelor that lives in Portland, Oregon. He runs a successful and highly profitable sports hobby shop. One day Nick sees a beautiful woman that he almost immediately falls for. Her name is Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long) and she has all the characteristics of a mate that Nick has been looking for. However, Nick soon learns that Suzanne is divorced and has two children. Nick is terrified of children, but he likes Suzanne and is determined to make their relationship work. The kids, daughter Lindsey (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden), still desperately want their parents to get back together and have done everything in their power to prevent their mom from having a successful relationship with anyone else. Even though Nick is nicer and more loveable than some of the other prospects, he is NOT an exception to the kids' dislike and they use their full measure of ingenuity to get rid of him. But it doesn't work because Nick has fallen for Suzanne and vice versa. Then Suzanne is forced to stay in Vancouver for New Years and asks Nick to bring her the kids so they can be together for the holiday. The journey becomes a test for the relationship between Nick and Suzanne as well as the turning point between Nick and Lindsey and Kevin.

Other than being set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, ARE WE THERE YET? is a highly derivative film and doesn't really offer anything new to the family road trip subgenre. There are scenes in the movie that are slightly altered, but have been used before in such films as NATIONAL LAMPOON'S FAMILY VACATION, HOME ALONE, and TOMMY BOY. Also, it takes awhile for the audience to feel empathetic towards Lindsey and Kevin and the abuse they pour on Nick. For half of the movie, the children seem completely selfish, uncaring, and downright cruel.

Still, even with a fairly weak and derivative script and a couple of self-centered kids, ARE WE THERE YET? works as a family movie. The movie only has some comical violence, hardly any foul language, and contains an important message about the importance of family, sticking together, and the power of unconditional love. It may not be a great movie, but ARE WE THERE YET? is a decent one that children and their parents can safely enjoy watching together.

A Very Good Funny Family Movie.......2007-08-12

I absolutely loved this movie. I kind of had my doubts when I saw Ice Cube's name because I didn't know if it would be okay for family viewing, but after watching this DVD I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It's a DVD that I will watch over and over. Ice Cube's character, Nick becomes infatuated with Nia Long's character, and is disappointed to learn that she has two kids. The little girl is especially sassy, and neither of the children trust Nick who has the task of driving them across the country during the Christmas holidays. The children put Nick through hell, and try to run him away from their mother.
All in all the movie ends well, and they all learn to like each other.

lacked something.......2007-08-01

like depth! The story line was great. A single guy doing a favor for a female he wants to get to know better. The favor turns out to be more than he bargined for. This is not a family movie. Too bad!

It's an okay movie.......2007-05-12

Not a bad movie. Not a great movie, but not bad either.

Not What I Expected.......2007-05-07

We saw the move, "Are We There Yet?" in the theater and really enjoyed it, so we decided to purchase this DVD. It would be a good movie for kids if not for the swearing and bad attitudes of the children in the movie. We probabbly will not watch the DVD again (at least not with kids).

Average customer rating:

Funny and Family-Friendly, But Nothing Special
A Very Good Funny Family Movie
lacked something
It's an okay movie
Not What I Expected

Are We There Yet ?
Starring: Ice Cube , Nia Long , Aleisha Allen , Philip Bolden , and Jay Mohr
Director: Brian Levant
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000MGTQ70
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Amazon.com

Product Description

When Nick (Ice Cube, Barbershop) falls for single mother Suzanne (Nia Long, Big Momma's House), he initially doesn't have to worry about what her kids think of him because she just wants to "be friends." Undeterred by this statement- or his buddies, who dog him for loitering in the stalking-friend zone- Nick keeps hanging around. So when Suzanne finds herself in a jam and needs someone to escort her kids to meet her in Vancouver for New Year's Eve, Nick gladly opens the door for opportunity. Itcould be the best way to win her heart or the biggest mistake of his life. With more that one destination on his mind, Nick embarks on a road trip he'll never forget- and neither will you!

Customer Reviews:

Funny and Family-Friendly, But Nothing Special.......2007-09-10

A Very Good Funny Family Movie.......2007-08-12

lacked something.......2007-08-01

like depth! The story line was great. A single guy doing a favor for a female he wants to get to know better. The favor turns out to be more than he bargined for. This is not a family movie. Too bad!

It's an okay movie.......2007-05-12

Not a bad movie. Not a great movie, but not bad either.

Not What I Expected.......2007-05-07

Average customer rating:

UMD Movie for PsP
Cringing throughout a comedy is not a good thing
Are We There Yet? ....

Are We There Yet? (UMD Mini For PSP)
Starring: M.C. Gainey , Ice Cube , Nia Long , Nichelle Nichols , and Jay Mohr
Director: Brian Levant
Manufacturer: Columbia TriStar
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video

Comedy | Universal Media Discs | Stores | DVD | Video
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Accessories:

ASIN: B000803BQM
Release Date: 2005-05-24

Customer Reviews:

UMD Movie for PsP.......2007-08-30

First shipment was lost. Notified Amazon and item was replaced and received within 2 days. Will do business with you guys again.

Cringing throughout a comedy is not a good thing.......2005-06-17

There is quite a bit of perilous tightrope walking involved in mixing violent slapstick comedy and heartfelt pathos. Charlie Chaplin did it a lot and you can certainly point to the original "Home Alone" as being a successful mix. But in the former the target of the physical attacks was usually some guy twice the Little Tramp's size and in the latter it was the Wet Bandits. That is not the case with "Are We There Yet?" There are certainly some laughs to be had in this 2005 comedy, but for the most part I find myself cringing at what was happening on screen and the only reason director Brian Levant's film gets 3 stars is because there are a few success and rather important moments of pathos in this mess.

Nick Persons (Ice Cube) has an upper scale sports collectible store and a brand-new Lincoln Navigator, when he is smitten by the sight of Suzanne Kingston (Nia Long). The bad news is that she is a single mom with a pair of terror tots, Lindsy (Aleisha Allen) and Kevin (Philip Daniel Bolden), who have been taking care of all of mom's would-be boyfriends. They are waiting for their mom to reconcile with their dad. Nick wants nothing to do with children, but he and Suzanne become friends and when she has to go to Vancouver for work and her ex-husband bails on having the kids for New Year's, he ends up agreeing to transport the kids and the madness begins.

The core problem here is that these kids are viscous little monsters who physically assault innocent men. This is not cute little Kevin hurting the bad guys who are trying to rob his home, but two kids going after every guy who wants to date their mother. It is not funny it is mean. It is also dangerous, which gets us to another key problem with this movie in terms of how many times the attempted humor has to do with cars and trucks. In other words, situations that in the real world would get these kids killed are repeatedly done for laughs in this movie. Watching a couple of kids screaming while the car they are in is squeezed against the railing on the highway by a fully loaded semi-truck is not all that funny in the real world and we kept cringing through all of these types of scenes (there are several). Granted, it is not wise to confuse a movie with the real world, but there are moments when this film wants to talk to the reality that there are a large number of African-American children being raised without their fathers living in the house. More importantly, those are the best moments in the film.

This is because Nick is not a bad guy, which is the flip side to the core problem, and another reason to cringe every time they go after him. Nick thinks he does not like children and this particular pair of demons give him ample reason to reinforce that idea, but when these children need help, physical or psychological, he immediately goes to their help. The latter is the more important part, because you know full well that these children are going to get their comeuppance when they find out the truth about their father and the moments in which Nick talks to the kids, as opposed to screaming or sticking out his tongue at them, are the best moments in this film because they are the most real.

The fault for this film is to be found in the screenplay by Steven Gary Banks, Claudia Grazioso, J. David Stem and David N. Weiss (four writers is rarely a good sign), because the performances by Ice Cub and the two kids are fine given what was written (Long is reduced to a minor part in the story, which is why the resolution is problematic for me). Jay Mohr has a small part in this film as Marty, Nick's friend who keeps reminding him of how much he does not like kids, and Tracy Morgan does the voice of the Satchel Paige bobble-head doll that Nick has on the dashboard of his vehicle (who does Nick think will be watching DVDs in the backseat if he does not like children?). It was also great to see Nichelle Nichols in a bit part as Miss Mable. What would have been even better was a film that dealt more realistically with the basic idea, which is certainly an important one.

Are We There Yet? ...........2005-05-28

Having had my Playstation Portable for, almost, a month now; I thought I'd get around to getting a movie to watch on it just to see how good things were with watching one on it. Because my choices were limited, I was stuck with choosing between this one or National Treasure. Thankfully, I chose "Are We There Yet?". I'm really glad I did because this movie is downright hilarious. The story goes a lil something like this....Nick, a playboy bachelor, and Suzanne, a divorced mother of two, is threatened by a particularly harrowing New Year's Eve. When Suzanne's work keeps her in New York City for the holiday, Nick offers to bring her kids to the city from Washington D.C. The kids, who have never liked any of the men their mom has dated in the past, are determined to turn the trip a nightmare for Nick. And, boy, is it ever a nightmare. Ice Cube turns in one of his most comedic performances in his career in this movie. I didn't think I'd like this movie too much beforehand but, after watching it, I think it was money well spent. I'm really glad it was the first movie that I got for my PSP. Which, I'd like to add as a sidenote, the PSP's capabilties of showing movies on the system is well past what I expected of it. It's high quality UMD video. I commend Sony for doing such an outstanding job with the PSP(It's, definitely, the Walkman of the 21st century). I can't wait to see what other movies will become available for the PSP now. Who knows, I might start me a whole library of them to watch on the go.
Getting back to the review, however, if you hadn't seen Are We There Yet? yet....do yourself a favor and see it. It's a movie the whole family can see.

Average customer rating:

Worked for us
Are We There Yet? Starring Miles the Goose
My 4 year old loved it!
AMAZING!
Road Trip Lifesaver

Are We There Yet?
Starring: Are We There Yet
Manufacturer: Banyan Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Children's Music | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B0009KCWPW
Release Date: 2005-11-14

Product Description

NEW from Banyan Entertainment! (Producers of Trading Spaces, Wedding Story, Baby Story, and Birth Day.) Tired of your kids asking "are we there yet?" on every road trip? The brand new "Are We There Yet?" DVD is the first of its kind. Designed for the children's travel market, "Are We There Yet" promises hours of fun at home and in the car. Join Miles the Goose as he leads children on a journey of exploration and fun. Packed with games, songs, educational segments and fun facts "Are We There Yet?" entertains as it educates. If you're a family on the move, this is a must-own DVD. So grab your gear and get ready to hit the road! DVD includes: CLASSIC TRAVEL GAMES that will entertain the kids for hours; CAR TUNE SING-A-LONGS with Rebecca Frezza and the Big Truck Band; EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL SEGMENTS featuring the Question Kids; WINNER Dr. Toy BEST VACATION Children's Products 2005; WINNER 2005 National Telly Awards, Kids Programming; WINNER 2005 National Telly Awards, Travel/Tourism

Customer Reviews:

Worked for us.......2007-09-04

The kids were skeptical at first but the movie pulled them in and they enjoyed it. Every now and then they would be yelling out answers or something.

Are We There Yet? Starring Miles the Goose.......2005-07-11

Very cute, very entertaining. It kept the interest of our kids ages 3, 6, 10 and 12.

My 4 year old loved it!.......2005-06-03

We both enjoyed the DVD a great deal. The songs stuck in our heads and we both found ourselves humming them throughout the day. This DVD would be a great asset to parents with portable DVD players. It will serve as a FUN reminder for children who may get bored on the trip for things that can be done to help pass the "Miles". We loved the little quizzes and had fun
competing for the answers. I would recommend this DVD to parents with little adventure seekers.

AMAZING!.......2005-06-03

I found this DVD not only educational, without my children knowing it but interesting, as well. If you asked their opinion they say it was FUNNY! My youngest two children are still asking to watch it again and again and are now quoting from ARE WE THERE YET? Well done! This is a keeper for our movie gallery for my children to choose from.

Kathy Schneider
Kids: 4, 7, and 17

Road Trip Lifesaver.......2005-05-07

Kids have just as much fun playing these old classic travel games with Miles and his friends as we all did when we were young. And even parents may catch themselves humming or singing along to Rebecca Frezza's catchy car tunes. (I know I did!) The chapter DVD format makes it really easy for kids to play their favorite parts over and over again. Great to pop into the minivan DVD player for both short and long car trips!

HDNet - Higher Definition: Jamie Foxx, Peter Chelsom [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

HDNet - Higher Definition: Jamie Foxx, Peter Chelsom [Blu-ray]

Manufacturer: HDNet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

HDNet | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000QTD6HO
Release Date: 2007-05-15

amazon.com

Blu-ray version; 1080i. Jamie Foxx, Peter Chelsom - Pop-culture critic Robert Wilonsky talks with actor Jamie Foxx, about his role as Ray Charles in the upcoming Ray, a role that could land him an Oscar. And, Director Peter Chelsom stops by to talk about the making of Shall We Dance? starring Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon and Jennifer Lopez. This disc plays on Blu-ray Disc compatible players. Resolution - [1080i]. Aspect Ratio - [16:9]. Immediate play, no menu or special features. Please note that this disc will not currently play on the following four players: Panasonic DMP-BD10 Blu-ray Player, Pioneer BDP-HD1 Blu-ray Player, Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray Player and LG BH100 Hybrid Blu-ray/HD-DVD Player. A firmware upgrade is expected from Sony in the near future for the Sony BDP-S1 to enable compatibility with most BD-R/RE discs.

Christmas with the Kranks/Are We There Yet?

Average customer rating:

Christmas with the Kranks/Are We There Yet?
Starring: Tim Allen , Jamie Lee Curtis , Dan Aykroyd , M. Emmet Walsh , and Elizabeth Franz
Director: Joe Roth , and Brian Levant
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000B7HZX2
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Description

ARE WE THERE YET?: When Nick (Ice Cube, Barbershop) falls for single mother Suzanne (Nia Long, Big Momma's House), he initially doesn't have to worry about what her kids think of him because she just wants to "be friends." Undeterred by this statement- or his buddies, who dog him for loitering in the stalking-friend zone- Nick keeps hanging around. So when Suzanne finds herself in a jam and needs someone to escort her kids to meet her in Vancouver for New Year's Eve, Nick gladly opens the door for opportunity. It could be the best way to win her heart or the biggest mistake of his life. With more that one destination on his mind, Nick embarks on a road trip he'll never forget- and neither will you!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS: When their only daughter Blair leaves the family nest, Luther and Nora Krank (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to book an island cruise to beat the yuletide blues and just skip the holidays. But their decision to boycott tradition has the whole neighborhood in an uproar, and when Blair calls on Christmas Eve to announce a surprise visit with her new fiancée, the Kranks have just twelve hours to perform a miracle and pull themselves and their neighbors together to throw the best celebration ever! With fast-paced energy and support from Dan Aykroyd, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey and M. Emmet Walsh, this hilarious adaptation of John Grisham's best-selling novel, "Skipping Christmas" has become "an instant family classic!" (Gorman Woodfin, CBN)

Average customer rating:
Hong Kong: Are We There Yet?

Manufacturer: Discovery Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
General | Travel | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video
Travel Channel | Channels | Discovery Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
Travel | Subjects | Discovery Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
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Weekend Explorer Hong Kong, City Of Life

Globe Trekker: Hong Kong & Taiwan (DVD)

ASIN: B000LAZQB2

Average customer rating:
Are We There Yet? - America On Vacation (History Channel)

Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

All A&E Titles | A&E Home Video | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
All Titles | History Channel | Television | Genres | DVD | Video
( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000F6ZDDI
Release Date: 2006-04-25

DVD:

DVD

DVD