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PARENTAL GUIDANCE (2012)Movie Reviews
Comedy about an old-school grandfather who meets his match when he and his wife agree to babysit their three grandkids for a few days. Cast:Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei, Tom Everett Scott, Bailee Madison, Joshua Rush, Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Jennifer Crystal Foley, Rhoda Griffis, Gedde Watanabe, Tony Hawk, Steve Levy, Cade Jones, Mavrick Moreno, Madison LintzDirector:Andy FickmanRelease Date:December 25, 2012DVD Release:March 26, 2013From:20th Century FoxRating:PGLength:1 hr 44 min
Parental Guidance (2012) opened to weak reviews. • Stephen Whitty wrote in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, "...the laughs just aren't there.... Everything ends in applause and hugs and snapshots and smiles. But not soon enough." More Reviews Below...
Mary Pols, Time: POOR "What if you blended 'Parenthood' and 'Modern Family,' sucked the soul, charm and the good acting out of them, added some jokes about vomit, urination and defecation..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 729 words, 12/24/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...occasionally funny but mostly facile... slapped together by its director, Andy Fickman, and after a while it seems to run out of jokes..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 544 words, 12/28/12
Scott Bowles, USA Today: WEAK(cg) "...innocent if ineffective... for every nerve 'Guidance' hits, it bludgeons the audience with characters who could come from a Mentos ad."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 445 words, 12/25/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It could be worse, and would be without Bette Midler or Marisa Tomei.... Does it work? You betcha.... hits its familiar buttons hard and often."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 12/25/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "These filmmakers are lucky enough to have two of the best in the business at their disposal. Perhaps they should have asked their leads for a little extra guidance."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 12/25/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Perhaps the whole family is meant to enjoy the sight of Crystal being struck in the crotchal region with a baseball bat, causing him to vomit chili-dog onto a young boy?"(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 12/25/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: POOR(cg) "Playing like a big-screen adaptation of an Andy Rooney rant, the movie bravely takes on the scourge of today's wimp-ified parenting.... Hilarious!... Lunacy!"(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 475 words, 12/25/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...a routinely made comedy dominated by its screenplay's observations on how insane the typical insecure, overbearing helicopter parent has become..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 12/28/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "...only mildly amusing and slightly insightful... makes good use of Crystal, 62, and Midler, 67, appealing faces that have been largely absent from the movies of late."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 296 words, 12/25/12
Chris Packham, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...the elderly have cause to feel scandalized by their portrayal... The film is unpopulated by anything resembling an actual human being..."(See all of Chris Packham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 12/26/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "...one of those intergenerational embarrassment comedies in the 'Meet the Fockers' line, where children can enjoy seeing grown-ups looking ridiculous."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 519 words, 12/25/12
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "It's not just the crotch-shots, toilet humour, contrived sentiment and weathered comedians... The film's shoddiness trickles down to even basic details..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 316 words, 12/25/12
KEY CITIES (8 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: POOR(cg) "...seems like it's not just made for children, but written by one... aggressively dull... Midler and Crystal are mired in a tar pit of schtick, like Borscht Belt dinosaurs."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 12/25/12
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an engaging comedy that bridges multiple generation gaps, making it that rare movie that grandparents, their kids, and their kids can enjoy."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 472 words, 12/25/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "There's something to be said for a movie not being as bad as it sounds.... The thing that makes it modestly better than it might have been is Crystal."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 12/25/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...overly generous with regard to the silliness. However, it's not clueless. Crystal seems determined to give as generously as he gets."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 12/25/12
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...offers a very cranky worldview... everything is presented in stereotype-perpetuating extremes.... Director Andy Fickman opts against subtlety at every turn."(See all of Peter Hartlaub's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 397 words, 12/25/12
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: WEAK(cg) "Good intentions are lost in the film's frantic pacing and juvenile humor.... lost in the mayhem is Midler, who shines at times but is superfluous overall."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 12/25/12
Roger Moore, Detroit News: MODERATE(cg) "There are sparks between generations, but with the exception of Bailee Madison, the child actors are in over their heads and the adults seem as if they've just met."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 377 words, 12/25/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Chris Packham, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "...the elderly have cause to feel scandalized by their portrayal... The film is unpopulated by anything resembling an actual human being..."(See all of Chris Packham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 12/26/12
Mack Rawden, Cinema Blend: MODERATE(cg) "If you want to go to the movies with a large group and are interested in making sure everyone has a passable time, then this should be at the top of your list."(See all of Mack Rawden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 599 words, 12/25/12
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: POOR(cg) "...hilariously dated.... the film's ham-fisted oscillation between schmaltz and scatology indelibly marks it as a product of Crystal's hokey, mothballed sensibility."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 12/24/12
Tomas Hachard, Slant: POOR(cg) "...a confused and flat portrayal of generational differences.... the filmmakers rarely let their imaginations run wild with the possibilities of such a scenario."(See all of Tomas Hachard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 433 words, 12/23/12
Radheyan Simonpillai, Toronto Now: POOR(cg) "It's not just the crotch-shots, toilet humour, contrived sentiment and weathered comedians... The film's shoddiness trickles down to even basic details..."(See all of Radheyan Simonpillai's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 316 words, 12/25/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It could be worse, and would be without Bette Midler or Marisa Tomei.... Does it work? You betcha.... hits its familiar buttons hard and often."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 12/25/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Perhaps the whole family is meant to enjoy the sight of Crystal being struck in the crotchal region with a baseball bat, causing him to vomit chili-dog onto a young boy?"(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 12/25/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Brian Lowry, Daily Variety: FAIR "It's the kids, frankly, where the film mostly breaks down... their quirks and means of acting out are so unrelatable, petulant or simply annoying."(See all of Brian Lowry's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 12/21/12
Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "The schmaltz is piled on thick, and if the comedy were any broader it would require an IMAX screen, but still there's something touching... perfectly tolerable, if uninspired..."(See all of Michael Rechtshaffen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 12/21/12
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times: POOR "Perhaps the whole family is meant to enjoy the sight of Crystal being struck in the crotchal region with a baseball bat, causing him to vomit chili-dog onto a young boy?"(See all of Mark Olsen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 12/25/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "It could be worse, and would be without Bette Midler or Marisa Tomei.... Does it work? You betcha.... hits its familiar buttons hard and often."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 12/25/12
20.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Parental Guidance (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 20.3 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Parental Guidance (2012) (30 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Parental Guidance (2012)'s reviews cover 47.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 13,508 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 450 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 9.0 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Parental Guidance (2012)'s reviews on average broke 9.0 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Parental Guidance (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Parental Guidance (2012) (30 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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