Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

This is family entertainment par excellence, a knowing blend of comedy and common sense aided by Robin Williams's Oscar-winning make-up transformation. Director Chris Columbus reins in Williams's exuberance while retaining enough quick-fire gags, though some scenes misfire and it is a little long.

The critic predicts the film will be a major holiday hit thanks to its warm, uplifting take on family dysfunction and divorce. Williams' energetic performance in the title role, showing both comedy and underlying pain, along with Columbus' smooth handling of slapstick and drama, are highlighted as strengths.

The critic calls it a slick showcase for Williams' machine-gun wit within a story of broad family appeal that should do strong business, though overly sappy in places and 20 minutes too long. It mixes broad comedic strokes with heavy-handed messages about family, delivering expected broad strokes alongside occasional sharp dialogue and well-choreographed slapstick.

The review praises the film's hit-making appeal and Robin Williams' comic performance in the nanny disguise as a laugh riot. It criticises the shift from broad comedy into uncalled-for sentimentality in the second half.

The critic notes the film's challenge in selling the father's deception as an act of love, which it does not fully meet, while praising Robin Williams' genius for wicked jokes and brilliant non sequiturs that give the movie its best showcase short of 'Aladdin.' The story is deemed too simple-minded, spending too much time making nice instead of making sense.

The film is sit-com stuff with laboured farcical interludes and a mushy post-feminist sensibility, but remains funny. It highlights Robin Williams's performance as the disguised father learning lessons about responsibility.

The critic finds Mrs Doubtfire a lightweight creation lacking dramatic depth in the central disguise, comparing it unfavourably to Tootsie for its underdeveloped lead character. Supporting roles are sharper and some scenes deliver witty malice through the nanny persona, though the film settles for Hollywood liberalism without strong resolution.

The critic finds the film not as amusing as its premise and prefers the more intelligent 'Tootsie,' criticizing its sitcom values and depth while noting long stretches where the drag nanny concept wears thin. Williams' mercurial talent shines in spots but the movie stops for vaudeville acts and fails to explode with humor in its set pieces.

The critic laments Williams increasingly turning to warm and cuddly roles that dilute his anarchic comic talent, describing the film as unobjectionable but safe and sane with sentiment leaking through and denaturing the comedy. It is called a 'Tootsie' for the single-parent set that lacks the brio of the original.

The critic praises Robin Williams' performance as the disguised father, highlighting his ability to blend comedy with genuine emotion. They note the film's honest take on divorce and family pain, which adds depth beyond typical comedies.