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After a slew of independent films in the last five years, it’s good to see Robin Williams in a mainstream comedy again. He is as refreshing and funny in RV as he was in any of his major hits, and he makes the audience feel right at home the minute they see him onscreen.
RV is a very simple movie. It’s National Lampoon’s Vacation all over again, with Williams in the Chevy Chase role and with an R.V. instead of a station wagon. It’s not new, but it’s such a relief to see Robin Williams in a comedy again that he could be hamming it up in front of a flashlight for all we care—it’s just good to have him back.
Williams plays Bob Munro, who takes his dysfunctional family on a road trip to Colorado as an effort to reconnect with his wife and kids and to attend a very important sales pitch to save his job. Predictably, all hell breaks loose, and he manages to rip the R.V. to shreds in the process. In the end, he connects with his family and all is good again.
Williams is surrounded by some really good actors and they really help to fuel the madness. Cheryl Hines, fresh from Curb Your Enthusiasm, plays his wife; Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth play a crazy couple Williams meets on the road; and Will Arnett and Tony Hale, both from Arrested Development, round out the cast. Will Arnett does an especially great job as Williams’ germ-phobic boss.
Barry Sonnenfeld directs the movie with aplomb, and this movie feels reminiscent of his previous work on Big Trouble with Tim Allen and both of the Addams Family movies. I will say that if you’re not a fan of Robin Williams or any of Barry Sonnenfeld’s movies, then there isn’t much here you will enjoy; but for fans of both, this will be a real treat.
