The all-star cast does a good job of grounding this outrageous dramatic comedy whenever it starts to go off the rails. The story, based on a best-selling book, is pretty solid, but the film is made in such a by-the-numbers way that hardly anything is ever a surprise when it happens. This is most evident with Jason Bateman's character's story with his old flame being rekindled, which plays out like an old rom-com and hardly seems to fit the style of the rest of the film. The wacky family is entertaining and the cast hilarious, but the movie falls flat on its face too many times to count.

3 Stars (out of 5)