RV

That RV generally remains kind of watchable is certainly a testament to filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld’s stylish direction and Robin Williams’ energetic performance, as the movie is otherwise as silly and forgettable as one might’ve anticipated (ie this is one case where the marketing materials are entirely reflective of the final product). The story follows the extremely dysfunctional Munro family – dad Bob (Williams), mom Jamie (Cheryl Hines), daughter Cassie (Joanna Levesque), and son Carl (Josh Hutcherson) – as they embark on a cross-country vacation in a rented RV and subsequently encounter a whole host of problems and wacky personalities on the way. There’s certainly no denying that RV gets off to an almost irredeemably awful start, as screenwriter Geoff Rodkey initially places far too much of an emphasis on the rocky relationship between Bob and Cassie – a problem that’s exacerbated by Levesque’s awful, thoroughly grating performance. And while things improve considerably once the Munros’ vacation gets under way, Rodkey’s reliance on overtly sentimental and melodramatic elements becomes increasingly problematic as the movie progresses (the entire third act is essentially a laugh-free zone). Still, RV is never quite as bad as it probably should have been and there are admittedly a number of genuinely entertaining sequences spread throughout the film’s relatively brisk running time (ie the scene in which the Munros hastily escape an RV park to avoid a particularly outgoing family).

** out of ****