2
7
5
(worth seeing once)
(strong language, potty humor)
(good message but nothing directly spiritual)
"RV" is a family comedy about a family in an RV. It sports a pretty typical plot formula just centered around the concept of an RV trip. Bob is a career-minded dad with two kids and a wife. They are mildly dysfunctional though not to the point of horrific drama; they just aren't that close. Their planned family vacation is spoiled because Bob’s boss wants him to make a presentation to a company they want to buy. What does Bob do? Well if he just said, “Hey let’s use the opportunity of my presentation to visit Colorado instead of Hawaii” the story would have been a lot shorter. Instead he suggests an RV excursion to Colorado where he plans to sneak away and do his presentation without his family ever knowing. Likewise his boss doesn’t know he’s using this opportunity to go through with his vacation.
Of course, when they hit the road everything goes down the crapper…. then back out again. From backed up toilets to raccoon attacks this isn’t exactly a dream vacation. Thankfully they meet up with the friendly, helpful Gronicke family. OK maybe not so thankfully. These guys are pretty weird, and as hard as the Munros try to avoid them they can’t seem to get away.
"RV" is not a laugh-a-minute marathon. It definitely has its moments, though. Robin Williams is surprisingly straight in this one – very little of his crazy antics. He’s actually a little boring, but that's the point of the character. Jeff Daniels really steals the show for me. He’s the best part of the movie easily, but then he’s always had a knack for being entertaining.
Some of the acting is weak. The most noticeable is Jojo (who plays the Munro teen daughter Cassie). Part of what makes her stand out in a negative light is that she’s in so much of the movie; there are other actors here that are worse, they just have less screentime to show it. Part of the problem with her is the writing, though. She’s supposed to be the rebellious daughter, disrespectful and difficult. I think they were trying too hard to make her that and ended up making the character too unbelievable.
I would say that when it comes to "RV" you need to be in the mood for some light, family comedy. You're not going to get an amazing story, killer performances, or amazing visuals. You'll either find the jokes funny or you'll yawn and fall asleep.
Morality
This is a very clean movie – well as far as sex and violence goes. There is none of either. There is very little strong language. There is some potty humor including Bob getting a sewage shower, but if you can deal with the disgust of that I doubt anything else in the movie will give you pause.
Spirituality
The movie as a whole carries a good message. It’s all about family bonding, doing the right thing (bad things happen when you lie, good things when you’re honest and stand up for your principles), and making friends with people who are different is a good thing. The Munros learn that family is more important than a lavish lifestyle, and Bob in particular learns that being stuffed up with pride weakens his relationship with his family rather than bolstering their opinion of him.
The aspects of pride and truthfulness are not approached from a spiritual standpoint, but they are elements that a Christian viewer can appreciate. These elements are what make me more likely to want to watch "RV" than many of the other comedies out there.
Final Thoughts
"RV" is not a must-see by any measure, but it is as good a movie as any if you’re looking for some family entertainment. Check it out for some laughs.
Buying Guide
Buying options for “RV” are simple and typical.
The movie is available in Widescreen and Pan-&-Scan versions on regular DVD and on Blu-ray.
The pan-&-scan DVD appears to be exactly the same as the widescreen version except for the ratio.
The Blu offers 2.40 widescreen at 1080p. Audio is 5.1 uncompressed. Reviews say that the video looks really good and the audio is strong. The extras appear to be the exact same as the DVD though it's possible some are missing.
Final Recommendation:
If you're a fan of the film you will most likely find the extras interesting. Go for the Blu for a quality upgrade, but the DVD is a decent package as well and may even offer a little more in the extras department.
The widescreen DVD is a single disc offering.
Video
2.40 widescreen:
The image is clean and sharp with great contrast and decent detail.
Audio
5.1 Dolby:
The audio is clear with just enough surround sound to take note of. The mix is good though it's light on the bass.
Packaging
The case is standard plastic.
The interface it features some amusing RV animation with appropriate audio. It’s fun to just sit and watch it for a minute. Creative interfaces like this do a lot to enhance a DVD.
A few previews lead into the interface and a bunch of warnings and such play before the movie.
Extras