Kids aren’t cheap: Cheaper by the Dozen 2022 Review

Cheaper by the Dozen brings family values and how those can get lost to the forefront of Disney Plus. I haven’t ever seen the original, but based on the internet and anecdotal thoughts this doesn’t hold a candle to it.

Cheaper by the Dozen is worth watching with its diverse cast of character, entertaining plot, and comedic moments. It is a good family movie and a lot of fun to watch with a group. Probably not a good movie to sit and watch on your own, but it feels like a movie that I would have seen on the Disney Channel, and I really enjoyed the themes.

Cheaper By The Dozen 2022 Review

Disney calls Cheaper by the Dozen “A fresh take on the 2003 hit comedy”, and while I have no idea how much truth that statement holds, I enjoyed the movie. It doesn’t feel like anything special, but our cast is funny and the plot moves along at a decent pace. It doesn’t hit too many lulls that we have come to expect from Family movies, but it also doesn’t hit the stride I expect from Disney. Our dialogue felt choppy, and we had too many characters to properly incorporate them into the movie.

I get that you can’t have Cheaper by the Dozen without a massive list of characters, but spreading screen time and character development through at least 13 main characters is tough. The hectic aspects of having that many characters really helped keep things interesting, but I thought it damaged some of our characters. Even Zoey, played by Gabrielle Union, doesn’t have a ton of depth. Having our adult characters feel 2D at times takes away from the rest of the younger cast whose identities rely on the adults from time to time.

Zach Braff, plays Paul Baker, is the star in this movie, and by far my favourite character. He goes through ups and downs in every aspect of his life. For a family movie, he is a surprisingly relatable character who continue to impress me at every turn. The writers crafted a really solid protagonist that fades to cringey, but doesn’t ever fall too far.

The plot is cringey in points, but it is also a feel good story. We have a family that battles through adversity that is magnified by having a battalion of children. They work hard to maintain their lifestyle and improve their relationships within their family. As someone who lives in a household of 6, I couldn’t imagine 12. The story leaves opportunities for the viewer to really feel the uncomfortableness of living with so many people. I didn’t think every turn was perfect, but our journey from start to finish was enjoyable.

Cheaper by the Dozen falls into the predicable family movie category. It is a fun watch with plenty of comedy, but so are 600 other Disney movies. Go find something with better comedy, better plot, or better characters. As a matter of fact, you can easily find something with all three. If you are looking for something new this might be the movie for you, but if you are looking for some nostalgia, I would go watch the original again.