Unaccompanied Minors

The film centres on a group of six kids stranded in an airport during Christmas. They are prevented from having fun by the Scrooge-like Lewis Black, who’s intent on pursuing them to a ridiculous extent — he would have broken every bone in his body if this film had any basis in reality. Black is completely out of his element here; anyone who’s seen him on his HBO specials or Daily Show segments knows that his humour is based on displays of profane and intelligent righteous indignation. There is none of that here. His character is as two-dimensional as everything else in this film. The other big name is Wilmer Valderramma, who plays a security guard with a soft spot for the kids. Wilmer is best known as Fez on That ’70s Show but unfortunately, he gets to flex very little of that comedic muscle here. The children are cute but aren’t developed characters; they are the most boring stereotypes: the fat one is weird; the black one can dance and is wacky; the "cool” boy that is awkward around women falls in love with the stuck up rich girl, who turns out to be dorky but is hiding from her reality. The film is just an example of wasted potential. Even though it boasts some impressive talent, the film fails on every level. The writing is poor and wrought with clichés (about every ten minutes there is a "punch to the groin” joke), giving the actors little to nothing to work with. Even the filmmaking is amateurish, as the film is replete with continuity errors. The special features are as forgettable as the rest of the film; the additional scenes are short clips unnecessarily rescued from the cutting room floor. However, the commentary with the screenwriters, the director and Lewis Black provides more entertainment than the film itself. Unaccompanied Minors is an unfortunately boring film, although its heart is in the right place. However, if you want a good children’s Christmas movie, go rent Home Alone again.