After Martin's lackluster Bringing Down the House, this movie was a vast improvement. Martin is highly likable as a small town football coach who is offered the opportunity to move to Chicago to coach a major college football team. This opportunity is too good to pass up and since it is what Martin has wanted his whole life. The bad thing is that his large family, that is used to living the small-town lifestyle is forced to uproot and move to a totally alien environment in a rapid-paced big city. Martin's professional life clashes with his personal life, as his university boss wants him to spend all his waking hours concentrating on football, while his twelve children are all running into problems adjusting to the new environment and constantly need his attention. His problems get multiplied when his wife's career as a writer takes off and she is asked to go on a tour to promote her book, leaving Martin to be in charge of the 12 demanding children.
It is highly entertaining seeing how Martin tries to have his football team practice at his house so he can also watch his kids. All of this goes on under the scrutiny of his controlling neighbors, who only have one kid, who they don't allow to do anything fun.
There are some really touching moments especially involving Martin's youngest son, who seems to be ignored by everyone else. His best friends are his frogs and the move is devastating to him because he will not be able to bury all his frogs together when they die. It is an almost heartbreaking moment when his other frog dies and he gets on a bus (or was it a train?) by himself to travel back to his old house and bury his frog with his frog's friend.
It is highly entertaining seeing how Martin tries to have his football team practice at his house so he can also watch his kids. All of this goes on under the scrutiny of his controlling neighbors, who only have one kid, who they don't allow to do anything fun.
There are some really touching moments especially involving Martin's youngest son, who seems to be ignored by everyone else. His best friends are his frogs and the move is devastating to him because he will not be able to bury all his frogs together when they die. It is an almost heartbreaking moment when his other frog dies and he gets on a bus (or was it a train?) by himself to travel back to his old house and bury his frog with his frog's friend.