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Absolutely the worst movie.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

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.

Do you think Facebook is the devil? Are you proud of the fact that you don't know how to send an email? Do you eat bacon for breakfast, like 7 days a week, and scoff at those hippy doctors who tell you to watch your cholesterol? Then chances are you'll love "Parental Guidance". By the way, all of these things describe my grumpy grandfather, and I truly think he would love this movie."Parental Guidance" told from the perspective of cranky grampa Billy Crystal and peacekeeper grandma Bette Midler, is the story of 2 reluctant grandparents who must watch their uncontrollable, bratty grandkids for a week. The film ridicules everything "new" from twitter to smart technology to health food to positive parenting, and it shows us the "disastrous" consequences of embracing these things--from the viewpoint of grumpy gramps.For example, the kids are outright disgusting aberrations of humanity. 5 minutes into the film, you want to go out back, cut a switch, and bushwhack them within an inch of their lives. At least that's what the film wants you to feel, because their stupid new age parents refuse to say the word "no" to them. Thus they turn into monsters.Again, this is exactly how my own grumpy gramps thinks; he thinks teachers should have the right to beat kids for misbehaving. He thinks parents who watch their kids' sugar intake are morons because he grew up eating Super Sugar Crisp and look how well he turned out.Billy Crystal taking this role, I can understand... he does a very good grump. But here's the big problem: since this is supposedly a family film, all of Billy's characteristic sarcasm (which made him entertaining in films like Harry Met Sally) isn watered down just shy of a good punchline. For a cranky old granpa to work, he should be a parody of himself so we can laugh at how extreme he is. But no, we didn't quite get that cynical wit that makes Billy fun.So we're left with 90 mins of goofy new age stereotypes, bratty kids, and Billy rolling his eyes as if that's the punchline. In other words, it's pure situational comedy, and if you don't find the situation funny, then you're outta luck. If you're below the age of 75, you might want to avoid this movie.

Oh those darn new fangled people with their new age parenting and their high tech computer machines. What we need is a good old fashioned comedy hack and a has been (who needs to sing in every movie) to show us the old ways. I'll bet that in the process we will learn some life lessons and solve everyone's problems, by the end those crazy old ways might not seem so crazy eh? I tried to change the channel when this came on. But it's like trying to ignore a rodeo entirely comprised of midgets and miniature horses. You want to stop and you feel guilty...but part of you wonders where they make the tiny leather chaps, and how Billy Crystal is allowed to breathe air and make movies after "Analyze That"That being said. Billy you are forgiven for two reasons. The first is a small part in one of the best movies ever made (it involves a princess, a giant named Andre, and a revenge obsessed spaniard who is not left handed). And the second is... well.....City Slickers. I know it's bad but god is it good.In summary, I have never left a movie review before in my life. But for some reason I felt the need to get this information out there. You may be one of the people who enjoy this movie and in that case please disregard this review. On the other hand you may be under the age of sixty, and have an iq higher than a bowl of soup. In that case... press play, take four valium, drink a bottle of gin, and take a bite of a big shotgun sandwich.

Billy Crystal essentially is not allowed to show his comedic abilities here. Sometimes, I felt he was actually playing it totally straight here. Ditto for Bette Midler. She seems to have garnered a part that usually comes at the twilight of one's career. She is given little opportunity to show what she can normally do in pictures. The dialog really did her in this 2012 film. She is all too ready to constantly appease her grandchildren. She is just too sweet for Bette Midler.This film does properly show the generation gap when it comes to handling both children and grandchildren.Marisa Tomei co-stars as the daughter of Crystal and Midler. She has got a great husband and naturally 3 kids with each of their own hangups. We've seen this so many times in films-the stuttering child, a child with an imaginary friend and a daughter forced to attempt the life of a musician.Our grandparents just can't seem to hit it off with the children. Of course, when they finally do, the parents come back at an inopportune time and all appears to blow up. Naturally, the film resolves itself.