Rv - Refurbished (2006)

"...some genuinely funny bits...  Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun
"...RV has laughs spilling out of its overhead bins.  Kyle Smith, New York Post
"A family-friendly comedy with some gut-shaking chuckles...  Winda Benedetti, Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Editor's Note A family film for the Instant Messenger age, RV takes a humorous look at a mostly functional suburban family's attempt to get away from it all on a rare vacation. The always hilarious Robin Williams plays Bob Munro, a beaten-down middle manager who feels alienated from the family he works so hard to keep comfortable. Upon his insistence, the Munro family rents an RV and embarks on a search for quality time in the land of Manifest Destiny. With his frustrated wife Jamie (the always stellar Cheryl Hines of TV's CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM), rapper-wannabe son Carl (Josh Hutcherson), and angsty daughter Cassie (Joanna Levesque, best known as a tween pop singer), la famiglia Munro is Westward Ho. However, white-collar Bob's lack of adeptness at handling the monstrous vehicle causes plenty of amusing chaos. Thank God for the kindness of strangers--in this case, a couple of endearing oddballs played by Jeff Daniels (who proved his comedic chops in the DUMB AND DUMBER films) and Kristin Chenoweth. As Travis and Mary Jo, two obsessive RV-ers with a penchant for barbecues, beer, and yodeling, they serve as the Middle-American heart and soul of the film, much smarter and savvier than cultural stereotypes write them off as being. Seasoned comedy director Barry Sonnenfield (MEN IN BLACK, WILD, WILD WEST) proves that he has mastered the intelligent comedy, and Williams, particularly in moments that are improvised, proves his brilliance once again. But it is the uniformly excellent supporting cast, in particular a knee-slapping turn by Will Arnett (Gob on TV's ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT), that makes RV so memorable.

	Cheryl Hines
	Joanna Levesque
	Josh Hutcherson
	Robin Williams
	Barry Sonnenfeld - Director
	Bobby Cohen, et. al. - Producer
	Chris P. Bacon, et. al. - Original Music By
	Fred Murphy - Cinematographer
	Geoff Rodkey - Writer
	Kevin Tent - Editor

Box Office
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he strength of the performances and a troop of likable characters transform it from a film you merely wouldn't regret watching to one you'll actually enjoy." 06/01/2006 p.59

Variety 8 of 10
Save for one out-of-nowhere gangsta-riff monologue, this is one of Williams' least shtick-reliant performances; at some points, thesp has the unusual role of playing the straight man to the more boisterous Daniels. Supporting cast is strong, including Levesque and Hutcherson, whose appeals extend past the superficial sullenness of their roles. But the real scene-stealer is Chenoweth, here displaying the same effortless sparkle and bracing warmth that made her such a Broadway luminary. - Justin Chang

Chicago Sun-Times 6 of 10
It's almost a genre, the cross-country family vacation movie. In fact, it is a genre. Yellowstone is almost always involved, or at least mentioned. There is trouble with unfriendly animals, reckless driving and sewage disposal. The genre usually stars Chevy Chase, but this time it's Robin Williams...There is nothing I much disliked but little to really recommend. At least the movie was not nonstop slapstick, and there were a few moments of relative gravity, in which Robin Williams demonstrated once again that he's more effective on the screen when he's serious than when he's trying to be funny. - Roger Ebert