College Road Trip

This kids’ film is an execrable experience, essentially just another conduit for low-brow lynchpin Martin Lawrence to unfurl his routine of toothy grins and unfunny knockabout humour. He plays James, a bumbling, safety-conscious local police chief and over-protective father of two, who insists on accompanying his eldest, Melanie (‘Cosby Show’ alumnus, Raven-Symoné), on a trip to an interview at a faraway college. Oh, how we failed to laugh at the catalogue of en-route blunders.

Roger Kumble’s histrionic account of parenthood plays like a mismatched buddy movie: in true yawn-inducing fashion, she’s embarrassed by his presence while he refuses to believe she’s responsible enough to look after herself.

Will this typical parent v offspring impasse be overcome by the time they get to their destination? Have a guess. Even with a brief running time, ‘College Road Trip’ is an ordeal that even its target audience will find dispiritingly lame. Oh, and did I mention the piglet?