Where to watch Carpool
1 1/2 Stars
A man with an important business meeting finds himself having to take care of the carpool for the neighborhood school children when his wife gets sick. Stopping to get donuts for them, things go even more awry when he finds himself the victim of a robbery. However, the situation only gets worse as a desperate man who had been contemplating a bank robbery robs the robbers and takes the man and kids hostage in their van as his truck is blocked by an armored car. The thing then proceeds into a comedic chase movie. The father finds that his kids don’t really respect him, and they react better to the robber. The result is that everyone gets a lifestyle change, including the original store owner.
Tom Arnold’s big-screen aspirations gave fans a mixed bag. True Lies and McHale’s Navy make good use of the comedian’s talents, while The Stupids is an oddity that some find unwatchable. Carpool falls somewhere in the middle ground; it’s an unoffensive family comedy with a few clever chuckles for parents. David Paymer, whose role calls for Rick Moranis, plays the straight man to Arnold’s manic behavior. Outlandish plot contrivances set the story in motion, literally, and mount until the narrative becomes exhaustingly hectic.
Arthur Hiller, director of Love Story and The Hospital, does a journeyman’s job. Carpool is utterly unremarkable in every aspect, from the flat cinematography to the performances, and certainly the lackluster script. I do confess that watching Tom Arnold unflagging optimism and politeness brought an occasional grin to my face. Those moments are too few and far between to recommend the, surprisingly, rudimentary Carpool.
Directed by: Arthur Hiller
Written by: Don Rhymer
Starring: Tom Arnold, David Paymer, Rhea Perlman