Daddy Day Camp

The fact that "Daddy Day Camp" is bad should surprise no one. The film is a sequel to 2003's lame "Daddy Day Care."

The surprise here is that "Daddy Day Camp" has a few moments of promise revolving around the relationship between a "soft" suburban dad (Cuba Gooding Jr.) and his tough-as-nails retired U.S. Marine father (Richard Gant).

But those moments between are quickly washed away in a sea of questionable jokes. This is a movie that's obsessed with bodily function.

The film's unpleasantness isn't the only problem. Director Fred Savage never gets the comic pacing of the film right and the dramatic scenes — save a few moments between Grant and Gooding — are inert.

The movie follows Charlie Hinton (Gooding) and Phil Ryerson (Paul Rae), who opened a day-care center after they got laid off from their high-paying jobs in the first movie. The duo decide to open a summer camp to further their "brand" into another child-care field.

The camp puts them into direct competition with the obnoxious owner (Lochlyn Munro) of a nearby camp.

Before long, of course, the two camps are in open warfare. That leads to an inevitable competition, where the children and adults alike learn some important lessons about playing fair and learning to accept people's differences.

Admirable lessons, to be sure. But because audiences have to wade through so much bad low-brow humor, any good message is lost.

If you want to see a family film this weekend with a good message, take your kids to "Hairspray" or "Ratatouille." Those two are everything — smart, funny and touching — that "Daddy Day Camp" is not.

"Daddy Day Camp" is rated PG for mild bodily humor and language. Running time: 89 minutes.