Shopaholic35 OK did everybody forget that this movie is a family comedy. To the person who sits behind their computer screen quoting Eddie Murphy's earlier work, why did you even watch this. There is no shock we all knew this was a movie for kids and their parents and the young at heart. Please move on and stop trying to drag down the rating because you didn't feel this role was good enough for him.Every time I watch this movie I find it adorable and fun to watch. I can't help but enjoy watching it and have done so many times. It's sweet and has that endearing quality. The kids add so much to the movie especially the little boy who plays Eddie Murphy's son. He is fantastic.It may have your typical family comedy themes but this movie is so much more than that. If you allow it to be what it is supposed to be then I find it hard to believe you don't love it as much as I do.

callanvass Unlike its follow-up Daddy Day Camp, Daddy Day Care delivers the laughs and fun for all ages. The kids are actually developed here, and the movie does a smart thing of building a nice bond between Eddie Murphy and his son during this movie, something Daddy Day Camp tried to do, but couldn't. Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin|Phill| and Steve Zahn are the perfect trio for this movie, and they are the main reason this movie succeeded as well it did. This was actually my 2nd time viewing this movie. I first came across this movie when I ordered it in my hotel room. I enjoyed it than, and I enjoyed it just as much now. Anjelica Huston played the perfect villain for this movie, and I must say watching her get the injustice that deserved in the end was a real treat. I've heard a lot of bashing for this movie with critics calling it another lazy movie for Eddie Murphy. What did they honestly expect? An award-winning comedy?.Performances. Eddie Murphy's charisma and humor serve him perfectly here. He's not too over the top, but not too restrained either. In my honest opinion, it's one of his best performances in his later years. Jeff Garlin and Steve Zahn do well as Eddie's sidekicks. Regina King is decent as Eddie's wife, and did what she had to do well. Anjelica Huston is excellent as the villain who is angry due to the success of Daddy Day Care.Bottom line. It's light, it's easy-going and just a nice family movie for the parents and the kids of all ages to just sit down and enjoy. Give it a break, it really is quite cute.6 1/2 /10

Jackson Booth-Millard Cheaper by the Dozen was out the same year, and this is almost the same type of film. I have given this film the same rating out of 10 as I did for Cheaper (because it isn't brilliant), but I think this is the much better film to watch. Basically two fathers, Charlie Hinton (Eddie Murphy) and his friend (and work pal) Phil (Jeff Garlin) lose their jobs in product development at a large food company, and are forced to become stay-at-home dads. With no jobs in sight, they decide to set up a new day care facility from home, called "Daddy Day Care". When the parents have been persuaded to give the male day care runners a chance, it catches on, and the kids that turn up include Crispin (Shane Baumel), Becca (Hailey Noelle Johnson), and The Flash/Tony (Jimmy Bennett), oh, and Charlie's kid Ben (Khamani Griffin) joins in too. The only thing that could stop them continuing this success is the mean Chapman Academy director Miss Harridan (Anjelica Huston). There some good moments with the two dads playing with the kids and keeping them quiet in various ways, and Murphy makes a more fun dad than Steve Martin did, a good family film. Okay!

canuckteach Caught this today on DVD with a buddy's grand-kids, and was pleasantly surprised. I have given it 9 out of 10, not for pure artistic merit, but as a funny 'family-film'. Certainly, the current rating here at IMDb is pessimistic. There are only 2 or 3 decent films of this sort produced annually in Hollywood, the rest being utter trash.Eddie Murphy plays a more subdued role than we might expect as a high-powered 'player' in the ad game, with little time for his family. A sudden change finds him desperate for work or an enterprise, in a plot ploy reminiscent of Michael Keaton's "Mr. Mom". The unfolding action finds Eddie scrambling to operate a day care facility with frenetic partners Jeff Garlin and, later, Steve Zahn. Murphy allows that duo to handle the slapstick end of things. He remains the thinker and the one who calms the waves of lunacy, allowing the plot to move forward to the next challenge facing our heroes.The satirical side of this story is shown by examining the competing (snotty) daycare center of the always-delightful Angelica Huston, reprising her 'vampy villainess' role of "Ever After". She runs a sophisticated academy for toddlers that Fraser and Niles Crane might envy (but it really needs to be taken down a peg or two).Refreshing, too, is the portrayal of the daycare inspector unleashed on Eddie by Huston. Instead of the typical clichéd grump who threatens and hollers, we get a tender, supportive fella who really wants the boys to succeed (we find out why at the end - watch the puppet show carefully!).Garlin is the closest thing I've seen to a replacement for our departed and dear John Candy, a slightly over-sized actor who can combine tenderness with slapstick! Zahn was an unusual sidekick fit as 'Giordino' to McConaughey's 'Dirk Pitt' in "Sahara", and, here as a hapless Trekkie, impresses with his comedic timing.Other notables pop up in supporting roles, and the kids are terrific. Enjoy! Final word to other actors of (former) glory: check your ego at the door, share the limelight with a great supporting cast and find a real script with likable or compelling characters. in no particular order.