Cheaper By The Dozen is a good mix of adult plot and children's antics that won't strain either grown-ups or kids. It stars Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as Tom and Kate Baker, parents of 12 children. The Bakers are a well-oiled family unit, both before and after their move from rural Illinois to Chicago where Tom starts work as a college football coach. But when Kate's autobiography is printed and a book tour calls, the kids, ranging from Smallville's Tom Welling to a pair of young twins (far cuter in the bloopers at the movie's end than in the actual film), turn into selfish, conniving brats. They derail their eldest sister's (Piper Perabo) romance with a non-billed Ashton Kutcher, knock out a neighbor's child's tooth, and for the central story, almost get Dad fired.
Director Shawn Levy's (Just Married) modern version of this thrice-told tale is light on solid laughs and goes to great lengths to pull heartstrings while avoiding surprises. Martin and Hunt turn in mediocre performances, but the script doesn't demand much. Far more entertaining to watch are the various child-actors and their slapstick, and maybe that's what holiday fare like this should be about.