Parental Guidance

Billy Crystal and Bette Midler play a couple of kooky old-timers who are asked to babysit their mollycoddled grandchildren in a comedy that celebrates the way parenting used to be. That means the kids are often left to their own devices, providing the perfect opportunity for some old-fashioned slapstick, including a cream-cake food fight and a public peeing incident that leaves skateboarding legend Tony Hawk injured. Younger viewers might be entertained, but there's little to amuse grown-ups. Crystal and Midler make a charming double-act, with wisecracks aplenty, but they're reined in for a family audience. The story is as much about the strained relationship with their daughter (a frazzled Marisa Tomei) as their grandchildren, but the expectation of a fresh, comedic perspective on modern parenting is never delivered by director Andy Fickman. Inevitably, lessons are learned by all, but frankly it all feels a bit obvious, perfunctory and dated.