Tom(SteveMartin)andKateBaker(BonnieHunt)haveaBaker'sdozen--children,thatis.WhenTom,afootballcoach,getsajoboffertocoachacollegefootballteamjustoutsideofChicago,andKate'sbookaboutraising12childrenfinallygetsapublishingoffer,theyseebrightthingsfortheirfuture.Theonlyproblemisthattheir12childrendonotwanttomovefromtheirruralIllinoishome,andthingsbecomenearlydisastrouswhenKatehastoleaveforacoupleweekstopromoteherbook.

　　WhileIdidn'tenjoyCheaperByTheDozenasmuchastheoriginalversionofthefilmfrom1950,the2003"re-imagining"isstilla9outof10forme(theoriginalwasa10outof10forme).It'sare-imaginingratherthanaremakebecausealthoughtheoverallplotarchassomesimilarities,thesearetwoverydifferentfilms,withverydifferentmessages,andverydifferentkindsoffamilies.Botharerathercartoonish,whichworksforme--Idon'trequiremuchrealisminmyfilms.Foranyonewhoislookingforsomethingprimarilybelievable,CheaperByTheDozenmaynotfitthebill.

　　Themajorchangefromtheoriginaltothenewfilmisachangefromcontroltonear-chaos.IntheBaker'scase,itdoesn'ttakelongtorealizethatthechaosarisesfromtheirlackofdiscipliningtheirchildren.Whilethismaynotberealistic(surelyanyoneplanningtohaveafamilythislargewouldrealizethatdisciplineandcontrolwouldbenecessarytonothaveone'shomedestroyed),itdoesleadtoalotofcomicsituations,andthat'sreallythepointhere.Yes,thereisamessageintheendaboutputtingfamilyfirst,butwhatdirectorShawnLevyreallywantsyoutodoislaugh.MywifeandIlaughedquiteabitwhilewatchingthefilm,soLevyaccomplishedhisgoalwithus.MyonlyslightcomplaintonthisendwasthatsomeofthefunniestmaterialinvolvedtheeldestBakerdaughter'sboyfriend,Hank(AshtonKutcher),andhejustwasn'tinthefilmenough.ThematerialabouttheShenk's,neighborsoftheBaker's,wasalsofunnyandabitunderused.Thiswasthereasonforloweringmyscore1point.

　　Therestofthecastisgood,althoughliketheoriginalCheaperByTheDozen,webarelygettoknowsomeofthechildren,butthat'sunderstandablewhenwehavetodealwith14charactersaswellasancillarycharacters.SteveMartinwasexcellent,asalways(Ienjoyhisworkinevenhislesspopularlyappreciatedfilms),andalthoughHilaryDuff(asdaughterLorraineBaker)seemedabitoddinthecontextofthefamily,Ienjoyedherperformancealot,also.There'ssomethingaboutherthatIlike,andit'snotjustherlooks.