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Getting Even with Dad More at IMDbPro »

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14 reviews in total

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5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Lame, 10 December 2001
Author: blitzingau from Melbourne, Australia

The movie starts in pretty interesting fashion when Macauley Culkin is deposited on the doorstep of his father, Ted Danson, just as he and his mates are preparing for a heist. However, the movie soon degenerates into "Home Alone" style antics as the young son brilliantly outsmarts his father time and time again. This all seems very familiar. Eventually the movie ends after nearly 2 1/2 hours of capers and disbelief. I wish they had of keeped the son out of it- police trying to 'get even' with the crooks sounds like a much better movie.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Much better than I was led to believe, 4 March 2011

Author: TheLittleSongbird from United Kingdom

I like Macaulay Culkin and his films like the first two Home Alones, Uncle Buck, My Girl and The Pagemaster, and after seeing some tepid reviews and a very low IMDb rating I was expecting not to like Getting Even with Dad. But I actually did. It isn't perfect, it is overlong with an obvious and predictable story and the pace slackens at times, but this is a much better film than I was led to believe.

It does look very nice, with good photography and scenery, and the soundtrack was mellow and engaging enough too. Getting Even with Dad does have some funny parts at the expense of Danson's inept sidekicks, and some poignant moments without being too mawkish. Howard Deutch is a talented director, and he proves it I think here, and I really enjoyed the performances of Macaulay Culkin and Ted Danson both of whom carry the movie with ease.

All in all, far from perfect but there are much worse out there. 7/10 Bethany Cox

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3 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Millions of Dollars In Rare Coins In The Palm of Your Hand. What's the Worst That Could Happen? Answer: Your kid could show up, hide them, and want you to bond with him., 15 November 2001
Author: (robocoptng986127@aol.com) from U.S.A

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Ray Gleason, and his pals Bobby and Carl, are planning the heist of the century. Apparently some old bird kicked the bucket and the cops find a truck load of rare coins in a trunk in her attic, so the state confiscates them. These coins are worth millions. Maybe even billions, and Ray, Bobby and Carl want it! So they got the robbery all planned out. What's the worst that could happen? [MIGHT CONTAIN A SPOILER OR TWO] Ray's sister Kitty, who just got married to a dolt, drops off Ray's son, Tim. (Macaulay Culkin in his last movie, before flushing his life and his career down

the toilet). Tim wants to spend time with Dad, but Dad's busy. Next day, they pull the heist and feel they have the money in the palms of their greedy hands. But the person who cashes the coins for dollars can't do it until next week, so Tim hides the coins and says if Dad spends time with him and takes him places, he'll tell him where the coins are. So Ray and Tim go to the museum, the amusement park, the water slide, baseball game, and a miniature golf corse. Bobby and Carl tag along. Bobby and Carl find a treasure map that might lead them

to the coins. Bobby demands to be the leader and keeps leading them in the wrong directions because he thinks he's smarter than the kid. But he sure isn't. Ray and Tim play a game of basketball and Ray teaches Tim how to pick up girls. A police woman detective, Theresa, was

watching and saved Tim from being hit by a car. Ray and Theresa get to like one another. And after the whole adventure is over, Tim is going to move in with Ray, and since he's lost millions of dollars and gained a permanent houseguest, he should go drown himself. In his own words. This is a good movie. I watch it alot. It was a good idea and all the characters each learn what happens when you try to outsmart an 11-year-old kid.

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3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Macaulay Culkin in his best, 25 November 2002

Author: Emerenciano from Campina Grande, Brazil

I've always thought Macaulay Culkin's performance in `Getting Even With Dad' is his best one together with `Home Alone'. It's a shame he's been out of scene in the last years, what forces us to go for his old films.

Culkin's partner in the movie is Ted Danson, who again shows he can do his part in comedies, like he did in `Three Men and a Baby'. Danson's a thief who now has to deal with an unexpected problem: his ex-wife leaves their son (Culkin) with him once he hasn't looked after him for years. The boy wants some attention from his dad, so he hides the coins his father has stolen before he could use it. If the thief wants his coins back, he must give the boy some good time.

My Rate 7/10

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7 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
good comedy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, 13 March 2003
Author: saggingpantsmatt from san francisco california

I loved this movie,I thought ted danson was excellent playing that self centered father,and culkin once again does a great job with playing a smarty.I also loved the fact that it was filmed on location in san francisco at places such as embarcadero bart station,chinatown,the aquarium,and golden gate park.

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Douse it....., 8 January 2012

Author: FlashCallahan from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Ray, an ex-con and widower, is planning a coin heist with two accomplices to help him to buy his own bakery.

However, he doesn't expect his son Timmy, who was living with Ray's sister, to show up at the house right in the middle of planning.

Timmy is ignored and Ray and his buddies pull off the heist. Timmy gets his father's attention by stealing the coins and hiding them.

To get them back, his father must take him to a number of different places and treat him like he enjoys his presence.

They grow fond of each other but Timmy won't stay with his dad unless he gives up the coins....

Culkin was getting older, so the cute thing he did in his earlier stuff was now becoming annoying, hence the reason why this bombed big time.

And the fact that the film was overlong and just not very funny..

But thats not to say that it isn't watchable. Danson is great as Ray, even though you'd expect him to be in a Stallone comedy with that accent. And he does have great chemistry with the cast and especially Culkin toward the end.

But it's all predictable stuff, as there are hi-jinks and pratfalls from the two bumbling sidekicks who are just interested in the coins, and these become tiresome straight away.

It's one of those movies you can have on in the background and not really watch, but you can still follow the story pretty easy.

Too long for kids, way too long for adults.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Summary, 16 January 2008

Author: effgeevee from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I've enjoyed this movie as easy watching for years since I accidentally recorded it off the TV. My sister and I've always assumed it was called "Paying Back Dad", because.. that's clearly a better title. :]

And that's my only complaint, beyond the occasional overly stupid pratfall.

Ted Danson plays a macho ex-con cake decorator who throws a plant out a window and falls over while ice-skating and still gets the lady, and Macaulay Culkin gets a musical segment. Also it opens with a heist, and the heart-warming climax happens on a bus. If you do not like these things, you are wrong!

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3 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
Another great Mac Culkin film, 12 May 2007

Author: jamiem-20 from United States

A great family film. I loved Mac's hair, I want it so much. It's about this 11-year old boy, Timmy Gleason (Mac Culkin) who sees his dad, Ray (Ted Danson) after years and years. All his dad cares about is getting some coins with his gawky friends Bobby (Saul Rubinek) and Carl (Gailard Sartain). Then after getting ignored, Timmy hides the coins somewhere and the only way they can get them back is if they do whatever he wants them to do with him. Then his dad meets a detective named Theresa Walsh (Glenne Headly) after Timmy comments on her scarf and then Ray falls in love with her. I loved the part when Timmy held up a bra and said 'Is this one of yours? Ooooooohhhh-la-la'. So rent it, watch it, laugh, and if you love it, own it. XD

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4 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Blackmail can be fun., 7 June 2003

Author: Michael O'Keefe from Muskogee OK

An estranged son(Macaulay Culkin) tries to blackmail his ex-con father(Ted Danson) into spending time with him. Danson and two cronies pull of a rare coin heist and then Culkin arrives wanting to share father and son time. The coins are used to blackmail the ponytailed Danson into pleasing the obnoxious Culkin. HOME ALONE(1990) and MY GIRL(1991)were at least worth watching. This is neither funny or interesting. Danson fares well in his arrogant way. Gleene Headly is not believable as a detective. Also in the cast are:Gailard Sartain, Saul Rubinek and Hector Elizondo. Geared for the grammar school set.

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0 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Mediocre movie, 27 December 2009

Author: Atreyu_II from The world of artists

'Getting even with dad' is one of the last films staring Macaulay Culkin before he disappeared from the world of cinema for many years.

Here, Macaulay Culkin was in his early adolescence but didn't look much different than in previous films, except for the long hair. He actually looked great with that long hair.

Despite having, in my opinion, the most famous scream in film history, here Mac never screams. But he shows his beautiful smile as in other films. He could have had future as an actor, if his personal life hadn't become the mess it was.

The movie is by no means a copy of 'Home Alone' but some of its ideas have a certain similarity to those films - mostly the fact that Macaulay Culkin plays a character who outsmarts the crooks (in this case 3 instead of 2).

This is not a bad film but it's nothing great either. It's mediocre. It's only *really* worth for Macaulay Culkin. In fact, I only recommend it to fans of Macaulay Culkin. Mac, as usual, is great, but aside him no one else has particularly good actings in this film.

As for the crooks, Bobby is the worst of the three. He is way more aggressive than the others - and he has a sick sense of humor, such as when he grabs a rat. Carl is harmless comparing to the others - he's more of a poor devil than anything else and, unlike Bobby, he hesitates before doing anything and seems to redeem himself at the end.

Despite being a relatively poor film, it has its good moments, such as Mac dancing at the sound of the great song 'Do you love me?' (from the movie 'Dirty Dancing'). Also, being a car lover, I've gotta say this: I love that car which Mac has a ride in the beginning - a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. That is one heck of a car!

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