This movie is very sweet and cute. There are parts that are a little ridiculous, but then, so is life. I'm a movie buff from film noir to recent masterpieces, but sometimes you just need to watch something light and wholesome and you've found it here. It's a funny comment on new parenting styles and how grandparents struggle to cope and assimilate. Overall just a delightful way to spend a few hours. And as usual Midler and Tomei perfect!

A smooth Bette Midler and a even more smoother Billy Crystal try to take your attention of their faces for a few moments in Parental Guidance. They play Grandparents who have to look after their grandchildren when the parents go off for a few days business holiday.

Crystal is a broadcaster who has been fired for being old hat and comes up with corny one liners.

Marisa Tomei is the helicopter mother who hovers over her kids almost to the point of suffocation and at turns spoiling them. She is rather apprehensive about leaving her children with her parents. For a lot of the film she refuses to join her husband who has gone on the trip before her.

The kids of varying ages are spoilt brats who simply have not had much fun in their lives and have issues. One having an imaginary kangaroo, other having communication issues with the daughter about to enter puberty and not enjoying her music with the constant practice and no social life.

However the film comes across as a sit com style clichéd family relationship film you have many times before.

The kids get hyper by eating sugary food, getting into scrapes much to the irritation of their parents.

You do actually wonder if Midler and Crystal are actually Tomei's parents as she is so uptight it seems someone else must have raised her. In that case why were they invited to look after her kids?

The film gives you a few brief laughs but mostly will leave you bored because of the familiarity of the story. Maybe the screenplay needed a face-lift more than its two stars.

Artie (Billy Crystal) loves his job as a minor league baseball announcer. He dreams of announcing for the Giants. His dream is cut short when his job is terminated at the end of the season. Artie is old school. He is technically challenged. Meanwhile his daughter Alice (Marisa Tomei) is desperate for a sitter for week and calls her parents. Artie's wife Diane (Bette Midler) agrees.

Alice and her husband (Tom Everett Scott) are technically savvy. Their three children all have issues from having overprotective parents who use the new school of parenting. It isn't hard to figure out what happens.

This is a good family film. Kids will enjoy this more adults who will have felt they have seen this film watching it for the first time. Crystal once again infuses his love for the game of baseball into a film. The movie has funny one liners, some heartfelt scenes, and good fun.

Perhaps this isn't really a five star movie. There is no heavy thinking involved. No deep meanings or metaphors. It is simply a popcorn eating, relaxing, family film, something I haven't seen in a long time.

Parental Guide: No swear words, sex, or nudity. One urination scene.