Well, they
couldn't call it Kramer V's Kramer 2, now could they? 
What we
have is a similar story line jizzed up with murder
and a bit of tension. Yes, it was an entertaining film but if
one looked at it other than superficially then, its nothing
more than a good line up of actors gone to waste.
The film fell down
on the script writing, it had more holes than Panty's tights!
and was possibly being used by Travolta as one of his come
back films similar to Swordfish.
John Travolta
plays the part of Frank Morrison owner of a declining boat
yard, separated from his wife Susan played by Terri Polo. -
very dead pan acting on her part. The couple have one son, 12
year old Danny,played by Matthew O' Leary who was also
un-inspiring, though the scene where he had the baseball bat
under his bed cloths did wake me up a bit! - American kids???
they are so more advanced than yer typical Irish
teenager!.
The first twenty
minutes set the film up. We have the amicable kid sharing
between the divorced parents; up to the point where Susan
is getting married to the rich pharmaceutical businessman
Rick Barnes, played by Vince Vaughan (he of 1988 version of
Psycho & Zoolander fame). Ok, the kid doesn't like his new
Stepfather even after some enforced 'Bonding' sessions with
his old dad in the background. He goes through the teenage
rebellious phase -gets known to the police, who plot his level
of delinquency with that of his parents deteriorating marriage
situation.
Anyway, cut to the
wedding ceremony on the front lawn and like every good
American wedding or funeral, the baddie shows up as well ...
in this case its the grooms old pal Ray Coleman (Steve
Buscemi). So it seems good old Rick made his money in things
other than Aspirin. Ray has tracked down Rick to his new found
lifestyle much to his horror so he is temporarily parked in an
out of town motel.
Mean while
lille old Danny is not making things easy for his new step 
father - proper brat :-) Lets say he doesn't greet the
wonderful news that he will have a lille baby to contend with,
joyfully... Yes, forty minutes into the film, and she has
one in the oven. Danny stows away in his step fathers pickup
in order to get into town, but Rick makes a detour to pick up
his pal Ray from his motel to pay him off. And pay him off he
did. Cleudo fans would call it - "with the dagger, in the
pickup, by Rick"
At this stage the
plot dissolves into Disney. the murder having been witnessed
by young Danny who goes to the police via his father. The
police trawl for clues -don't find any incinerated body. No
blood on the seats of Rick's Pickup .. cos he carefully wiped
ALL the stains off with his snot rag! and so no charges are
filed but step daddy knows he has been rumbled by the brat
son, so at least it gets a bit interesting at this stage.
The rest I will
leave you to judge for yourself, but suffice to say it
involves the aforementioned child custody court case and an
ever desperate growing Rick Barnes.
John Travolta and
Steve Buscemi do produce the goods with what they have been
given, but the film has too many dead ends which lead nowhere.
My faith in the Microsoft search engine is somewhat restored
by Travolta's expert use of the internet!!
Go and see it,
though its not award winning stuff.
