Getting Even with Dad 1994

Peter Rainer, Los Angeles Times: It's all a bit smug and suspect. Read more

Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel: Tone: Home Alone-style slapstick with occasional (almost random) heart-tugging. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: This seems to be the work not of screenwriters but of Hollywood marketing executives who believe movies are popular because they tell audiences what they want to hear. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: The new summer movies don't get much more formulaic than this bald attempt to capture the audience that can't wait to see the next three or four installments of Home Alone. Read more

John Petrakis, Chicago Tribune: Perhaps blackmail isn't an easy subject to warm up to, or robbery the best ground to rebuild a relationship on, but with a little care, some added ingredients and a bit more spice, Getting Even With Dad could have been a satisfying [film]. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: It probably sounded terrific in the pitch meeting. Read more

Caryn James, New York Times: The film should have been a roller coaster ride; instead, watching it is like trudging through a swamp. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The dysfunctional family in this film is little more than a shameless plot device to introduce a lame father/son bonding adventure. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Here is a movie with broad ambitions: It wants to be a caper, a comedy, a romance, and a showcase for MacAulay Culkin. That's too much of a stretch. Read more

Alistair Owen, Time Out: The script is formula and so is the direction, which leaves the acting. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: Neither Macaulay Culkin nor Ted Danson has improved his luck in selecting projects with this schizophrenic comedy. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Who, exactly, is supposed to fall for this stuff? Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: It's so monotonously unimaginative that it practically qualifies as child abuse. Read more