The Babymakers

Starring: Paul Schneider, Olivia Munn, Kevin Heffernan, Jay Chandrasekhar, Michael Yurchak, Wood Harris, Nat Faxon, Lindsey Kraft
Directed by: Jay Chandrasekhar
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Adventure
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Paul Schneider) learns that he cannot get his wife (Olivia Munn) pregnant, which causes him to plot to break into a sperm bank and steal back the sperm he donated years ago.

Review:

Tim: I really like the "Broken Lizard" guys, and even in a film like this (featuring only two of them), I always feel like I'll like it more than I do. I'm rooting for them, but as of late, their efforts have been lackluster. Such is the case with The Babymakers, a film that occasionally feels like it should be fun, but ultimately is a pretty big let down.

The basic idea is pretty fun- a guy tries to break into a sperm bank to steal back his "donation". You could run with that in many different ways. Unfortunately, the actual plot never really capitalizes on the potential. The story was mildly interesting, but it never really held my attention. I never cared about any of the characters. It was just a weak movie, almost from start to finish.

I really like Jay Chandrasekhar, and he's directed some very good movies (Super Troopers, for example). Unfortunately, it seems like he's lost some of his mojo recently. His last few movies weren't great, and this one is pretty bad, too. There are some very funny moments sprinkled throughout this film, but as a whole, it's a disappointing mess.

The cast is average. Paul Schneider was fine in the lead role. He did a pretty good job. I'm still not convinced that Olivia Munn is a real actress, but she did a servicable job here. Kevin Heffernan was much less annoying than I've seen him. He was actually pretty decent. I really did like Chandrasekhar in this film- he always plays memorable characters, and he added a good deal to the film. I wish he showed a little more restraint with his character, but for the most part, he was good. There's a handful of other actors in the cast, who are mostly okay. No one in the whole film really gives a great performance, though.

The movie is pretty uneven. There are some great moments (the scene with Heffernan at the sperm bank is the most disgusting and perhaps the funniest), but there's long stretches were the jokes just weren't connecting. The movie wasn't miserable to sit through, but I didn't have a very fun time, either. It just felt like a rushed production, and like no one was all that interested in making a good movie.

The Babymakers is the type of film that is quickly and easily forgotten. It was given a very limited theatrical release (7 days), and it grossed an embarrassing $7,889. It was also released on VOD at the same time, but it's pretty clear that no one was interested in this film. There are a few enjoyable scenes in the movie, but this is a pretty bad film overall.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Super Troopers, Beerfest, The Dukes of Hazzard