Cheaper by the Dozen [Movie Review]

Cheaper by the Dozen [Movie Review] | I remembered watching Cheaper by the Dozen years ago and absolutely loving it.

So when this new version popped up on Netflix, I’ll admit I was skeptical. Why fix something that wasn’t broken?

The real question was simple: Would this one actually do justice to the title?

SYNOPSIS

Cheaper by the Dozen (2022) Trivia

• Starring: Gabrielle Union, Zach Braff, Erika Christensen & Timon Kyle Durrett
• Director: Gail Lerner
• Producer: Kenya Barris
• Production Company: Walt Disney Pictures & Khalabo Ink Society
• Distributed by: Disney+
• Release date: March 18, 2022
• Running time: 107 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: United States
• Language: English
• IMDb: 4.6/ 10
• Tomatometer: 36%
• Metascore: 42%
• This film marks the second remake of Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), following the 2003 version led by Steve Martin. 
• Unlike the 2003 version, this film fully reimagines the concept, centering on a modern blended family instead of replicating the original chaos. 
• It reflects contemporary issues like blended parenting, work–life balance and cultural identity, moving away from the military roots of the 1950 film. 
• Each child represents modern-day pressures.

The movie opens with controlled chaos. The Bakers, a biracial blended family, are seen herding sleepy kids out of bed and into school mode, a familiar morning routine stretched thin by sheer numbers. Not long after, Kate, Paul’s ex-wife, drops by to babysit the twins, sliding into the household with an ease that quietly hints at unresolved tensions.

It all started with Paul and Kate Baker, raising their daughters Ella and Harley while carrying the unspoken grief of losing close friends in a tragic car accident. When that loss left behind a young boy named Haresh, the Bakers didn’t hesitate. They took him in, without conditions. Even after Paul and Kate divorced, their bond didn’t completely unravel. They stayed friends, co-parented, and in their own unconventional way, remained a family.

Then came Zoey. Fresh from a divorce with football star Dominic “Dom” Clayton, she met Paul at his modest restaurant and casually suggested serving breakfast all day. That simple idea sparked something bigger. They married, rebranded the place into Baker’s Breakfast, and expanded not just the business, but their family. Twins Luca and Luna arrived first, followed by another set, Bronx and Bailey, turning everyday life into a carefully managed storm. Kate remained in the picture too, often babysitting, unaware or perhaps indifferent to the fact that Zoey was never entirely comfortable with her constant presence.

Dom, meanwhile, never truly left. He remained involved in Deja and DJ’s lives, though his celebrity lifestyle and looming presence made Paul uneasy. As Deja trained for her future in USC basketball and DJ quietly gravitated toward Paul over his biological father, the family made a bold move to Calabasas. A bigger house, a gated community, all paid for by the success of Paul’s now-famous sauce. With the upgrade came bigger expectations, and bigger problems.

Zoey felt out of place almost immediately, experiencing subtle but unmistakable racial profiling. Not long after, Paul’s nephew Seth arrived, carrying the weight of a troubled past and a label no one bothered to question. Ella and Harley saw danger. Haresh saw familiarity. Together, Seth and Haresh learned how to stand their ground in a world that seemed determined to push them aside.

As Paul chased expansion deals and investors, Zoey watched history repeat itself. She hadn’t left Dom only to find herself married to another man who was never home. Tensions rose, arguments erupted, and once again, the family was forced to confront the same question.

Do you choose family over the chance to grow it or risk losing the family you already have in the name of growth?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• I actually loved this one too - it feels more current with the biracial frame and the problems it has.  
• Beautiful performance by the cast. 

What I Don't Like:

• Too many characters and some are underdeveloped.

Will I Watch It Again: Sure, I would.

Overall: 4.2/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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