Eddie Murphy clearly never heard the old adage that you should never work with animals or children. In "Dr. Dolittle" and its sequel, he happily played second fiddle to a rogue's menagerie of talking critters. And now, in "Daddy Day Care", he again allows himself to be upstaged by an entire nursery of infant scene-stealers.
Blame fatherhood and middle-age for Eddie's softer, safer image. Watching him read bedtime stories to his screen son (Khamani Griffin) or dress up as a giant broccoli, it's hard to believe this is the same cocksure, foul-mouthed dynamo who gave us "48HRS." and "Beverly Hills Cop".
When Charlie (Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) lose their high-profile advertising jobs, they're left minding the kids while their wives go out to work. Seeing a gap in the market, Charlie has a brainwave: why not set up their own "daddy day care" centre? How hard can it be looking after a few ankle-biters each day?
If they'd rented "Kindergarten Cop", they'd know the answer to that question. But Charlie finds out the hard way, as his pint-sized charges scream, fight, and defecate through a series of lame sight gags and increasingly desperate set-pieces.
Anjelica Huston offers classy support as the imperious head of a rival day care facility, while Steve Zahn peps things up no end as a Trek-loving geek who joins Eddie's outfit. But they're not enough to rescue a movie that, like "Pluto Nash" and "Showtime" before it, will have Murphy fans shaking their heads in dismay.
Daddy Day Care (2003)
