Review of Ghost Dad (1990) by Timothy S — 14 Oct 2014

I've always found it kind of amazing when a particular artist can excel and be so gifted in one medium but flounder so helplessly in another, Such is the case with Bill Cosby, one of the most popular stand-up comedians ever and star of one of the most beloved TV sitcoms of all time. Despite all of that talent, his film career never took off and perhaps only he can explain why he continues to choose projects such as "Ghost Dad.".

This is a dreadful comedy built around the premise of a father orphaning his three children, and only then does he realize how important his family really is. Although this is pegged as a family friendly comedy, that very premise may lead to some uncomfortable conversations with young children who go see this, not to mention all the questions it will leave for the adults in the audience.

The film seems to bend its own rules to suit whatever lame bit it has lined up next. The kids can hear their father, but others cannot. Sometimes he can pick things up, other times he cannot. The three screenwriters that came up with this junk can't seem to keep any of it straight. The rest of it is a mess of horrible special effects and redundant cliches (overworked dad who finally sees what is important, business meetings that are strained and allegedly comedic), and at the center of it all is a desperate-to-be-liked Cosby mugging for the camera.

"Ghost Dad" is a painfully unfunny film, aimlessly wandering through one pointless scene after the next.