Review of Parental Guidance (2012) by Tom R — 23 Apr 2013

(2 Stars) Also known as: The Adventures of the Old People VS This Scary World of Smart Technology. First off, Billy Crystal is still very funny, even in a humdrum film like Parental Guidance. It's been a while since we've seen him in a lead role outside of Monsters Inc., so it's nice to see he still has it. He's clearly the best part in this extremely tame, very bland film. It feels more like a sitcom of grandparents trying to make it alongside smartphones, smart cars, smart houses (which I think Hollywood doesn't grasp the concept of yet), and looney progressive parenting techniques. As a comedy, you can see a lot of the gags coming from a mile away. It's as paint-by-numbers as it gets.

I can't really hate Parental Guidance because it's so unoffensive and weak. I think this would be an enjoyable film for those with grandchildren since they can identify with the characters' problems, but I can't really see kids finding it funny (other than the occasional pee joke). It might be worth a rental if you're a Billy Crystal fan, but I feel like this will also fall into another reason why grandparents will enjoy it.