1777. Are We Done Yet? (2007)

Starring: Ice Cube, Nia Long, John C. McGinley

Director: Steve Carr

Running Time: 92 mins

Are We Done Yet? is an American film and the sequel to Are We There Yet?. Now living as a family under one roof, Nick decides to move Suzanne and the kids out to the country, where he encounters a series of problems with his new house that one man claims he is the sole person that can solve every single one of them.

Much like its predecessor, this film is very annoying. However, Are We Done Yet goes an extra mile by failing to even bring a shred of interest or emotion into the picture as the first film managed in its final act. As a result, it’s 90 minutes of repetitive mishaps and boring jokes, all complemented by a collection of uninspiring performances (and one particularly irritating one), making for a properly annoying watch from start to finish.

However, let’s start on the slightly less horrific side. On the whole, you can say that a good portion of this movie isn’t quite as shrill as Are We There Yet. It’s a very boring watch as a result, and more dull than annoying at times, but with much calmer performances from the four family members, particularly the two children, your eardrums won’t be bleeding come the end of this film.

With that said, there’s pretty much nothing else that this film does better than its predecessor. Above all, the worst part about Are We Done Yet is the performance from John C. McGinley. Although he’s meant to be an annoying presence for Ice Cube to get angry about, he goes far beyond the call of duty by providing one of the most cringeworthy and teeth-grittingly irritating performances you’ve ever seen.

Apart from the fact that he’s just unimaginably overzealous and energetic throughout, McGinley just won’t shut up whenever he’s on screen. It seems like he’s really trying to hog the camera from Ice Cube and other co-stars, and by putting himself at the centre of the film, he makes the movie even more unbearable to watch than it was at the beginning. On the whole, it’s a painful performance that defines the entire movie, and is the principal reason that you should definitely avoid Are We Done Yet.

But there are plenty more problems to complain about too. Whilst McGinley is the irritatingly hyperactive centre of the film, it’s arguable that the rest is just painfully dull. The first act, just before we meet McGinley, is a very slow and formulaic procession of reintroducing us to the characters we forgot from the last movie, and doesn’t offer any great new jokes to get you in the mood for a fun family movie.

In truth, that’s all this should be. A simple, light-hearted and entertaining family movie, which isn’t all that hard to pull off. However, by filling the movie with countless irritating characters complemented by even duller ones, repetitive and unfunny comedy, and a story that’s both tedious and intensely annoying, Are We Done Yet is a pretty awful watch from start to finish, and that’s why I’m giving it a 5.1 overall.