Starring:
Eddie Griffin as Lonnie
Anthony Anderson as G
Michael Imperioli as Dominic
Paula Jai Parker as Rolonda
Joanna Bacalso as Nia
Ling Bai as XiXi
Marsha Thomason as Brandy
Bobb’e J. Thompson as Tupac
Dee Freeman as Peaches
Randy Sklar as Brotha Stylz #1
Jason Sklar as Brotha Stylz #2
Naomi Gaskin as Venus
Dennis Akayama as Cha Ching
Mung-Ling Tsui as Sing Sing
Method Man as No Good
Amy Sedaris as Annabelle
Mark Chalant Phifer as Big Swoll
John Amos as Uncle Virgil
Tom ‘Tiny’ Lister Jr. as Drive-By
Special Features:
Behind-the-scenes special
Deleted and extended scenes
Gag reel
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1) Enhanced for 16×9 Televisions
Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround Sound
Spanish Subtitles
Synopsis:
Lonnie, G, and Dominic are childhood friends who are now grown men living together in Lonnie’s Uncle’s house. They enjoy the bachelor life and are relatively content with their dead end jobs and unattainable lofty dreams. Their lives are turned upside down, though, when their girlfriends all inform them that they are pregnant. Faced with the prospect of parenthood, they realize that they must give up their wild, carefree ways and start acting like grown, responsible adults. But they will find that it’s especially hard to leave behind their bachelorhood when taking on the challenges of raising a kid.
My Baby’s Daddy is rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and some drug references.
The Movie:
I have to admit that I had absolutely no desire to see this film when it was in the theater or when it arrived on DVD. It’s simply not the kind of movie I’m interested in viewing. But it ended up being a bit better than I was expecting. That’s not to say it was good, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.
The main problem with My Baby’s Daddy is that it doesn’t seem to know whether to be a family comedy or an adult comedy. For example, there are lighthearted comedy moments through the film that are appropriate for kids or parents. There are scenes where the cute babies escape from their daddies and they are thrown into a panic. There are other scenes where the fathers face the challenges of diapers, feeding, and bathing infants. However, there are more adult oriented scenes where there are sexual situations, profanity, and other things inappropriate for children. There are constant references to “titty milk,” exclamations that the babies smell like “s**t,” and more. I think if this film had chosen either the family comedy route or the adult comedy route, it would have been a much better movie. Instead we are treated to a mixture or genres that simply don’t work well together, especially when tons of fart jokes are thrown in.
Eddie Griffin’s a little more tolerable in this film than usual because his cocky, streetwise attitude is a bit restrained. He also happened to be one of the writers on this film. Anthony Anderson is his typical character, the same as he is in every other movie he’s in. He provides most of the comic relief in this film as an aspiring boxer who really has no talent whatsoever. Michael Imperioli as Dominic is probably the most out of place in this movie. He doesn’t seem a natural fit as a buddy of Griffin and Anderson, but he handles what he’s given as best as he can. John Amos is shoved aside for most of the film as Uncle Virgil, but he does have one shining moment towards the end when he tells off his nephew and sets the men on the straight and narrow. Method Man also has an amusing cameo as No Good, the ex-con cousin of G. Also look for Bai Ling who will soon be appearing in Star Wars Episode III.
The film ultimately has some good messages in that it tells young men to shape up, act responsible, and be good fathers. However, it’s a bit lost among all the poop humor, knocking up girlfriends, and bad rap music. I think this movie could have been salvageable, but it’s ultimately a failed attempt at comedy.
The Extras:
Behind-the-scenes special This is your typical behind the scenes featurette and it is 7 minutes long. It features the standard interviews with cast and crew and discussion about wrangling the babies, where they came up with the idea for the plot, and more.
Deleted and extended scenes There are about 19 deleted or extended scenes included here. They include extended performances by the white rappers, the little boy, and more. There’s even an alternate ending that’s similar to the theatrical version but with less footage of where the guys ultimately ended up. A couple of scenes establish how trashy Rolonda is, what a “player” Dominic is, and other things. If you liked the movie, you’ll enjoy these scenes.
Gag reel This is a 2 minute blooper reel. It shows Anthony Anderson clowning with the kids at the karate school, Eddie Griffin doing a Stevie Wonder impression, and your typical flubbed lines.
The Bottom Line:
This film is only for hard core Eddie Griffin and Anthony Anderson fans. Everyone else should approach this like you would an un-diapered baby with extreme caution.
