PLOT:
When a key informant against a notorious crime boss is assassinated, the only witnesses to his murder are five lively cheerleaders from the University of Texas: Barb, Anne, Evie, Heather, and Teresa. With the girls’ lives in danger until the authorities discover the killer, the hard-headed Texas Ranger, Roland Sharp, has to go undercover and move in with them at a secret safe house, as the mysterious murderer is still at large. However, to effectively protect the teenage quintet of eyewitnesses, Sharp must first lay down the ground rules for a harmonious, and above all, safe coexistence. Will the man of the house succeed in his mission?
REVIEW:
What did I like?
Girls, girls, girls. As a red-blooded, straight male, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the copious amounts of beauty in the film. Yes, the big focus is on the girls, each with distinctive personalities (airhead, tomboy, studious, leader, fireball), but there are a some other female characters who don’t get the same amount of screentime, but are just as pleasant to look at and have interesting characters, as well. The partner that gets shot in the opening scenes, the daughter, and the professor/love interest are all worthy of note.
Eyes of Texas. Growing up a University of Texas fan, I thought for sure I’d have gone there, but I ended up choosing another university. Do I regret the decision? No, but I do wonder. If I’m doing the math correctly, this would have been filming while I was working on my 2nd degree. Man, I love it when movies use real universities, rather than coming up with some made up thing (that turns out to be a real name a few years later) or Yale or Harvard. Not only is UT on full display, so is the city of Austin, which is always a bonus. Being a band nerd, I have to give props for showing the band members in various ways. Although, I do have a bone to pick with not showing the playing, save for the one scene that was at a game.
Some action.All the trailers I remember watching when this film was initially released had me believing this was a straight up comedy when, in fact, it is more of an action flick with hints of comedy and some crime twists along the way. Now, when I say this is an action flick, don’t go in expecting Die Hard or a Michael Bay level of action shots. I’m just saying that the action, which consists of car chases, shootouts, and a standoff at the Mexican border, is better than one would expect when you look at this film from the outside.
What didn’t I like?
That’s entertainment. Cedric the Entertainer plays some kind of ex-con turned informant/preacher. I don’t think they ever clarified what his exact relationship is with Tommy Lee Jones’ character. What I do know is, while the character description I just typed sounds great for a sitcom, for this film, he just sticks out. Obviously, he’s comic relief and a contrast to Jones’ grumpy old man, but for me he was just a tad over the top. The reveal that he was an old school cheerleader was a nice touch but, how is it he can still fit into that uniform, and why does he have it so readily available in his office?
Schoolgirl crush. When the girls first meet Tommy Lee Jones, one of them remarks that “he’s kinda cute”. At first, we figure it’s just an offhand line that won’t be brought up again. Turns out that isn’t the case, as later in the film she gets depressed about Jones’ having a date with her professor. Here’s my issue with this whole situation. It is obvious the writers wanted to go somewhere with it. Where that is, I don’t know. Perhaps it ended up cut from the final script or the scenes were on the cutting room floor, but her crush and reaction feel like it should have been more, maybe even play into a betrayal? Maybe I’m just overthinking.
Cheering and coaching. Excluding a couple of scenes where they are just random cheering (practice, meeting Cedric the Entertainer’s character, etc), the only time we see the girls doing any real cheering is the one time we are at a game, and even then, I don’t think we saw them do anything. Not that this needed to be Bring It On, but shouldn’t cheerleaders, even those in witness protection, be cheering? Speaking of that, I know Jones’ character needed a cover, but assistant cheerleading coach? He could have let one of his minions handle that or come up with a better alibi like…i don’t know strength and conditioning? The fact that he’s not exactly enthusiastic about, well, anything, doesn’t help, either.
Final verdict:
What did I think of Man of the House? This is an underrated film that most people dismiss for one reason or the other. I enjoy it because it is one of the few times Tommy Lee Jones is enjoying himself, the girls are interesting characters (and easy on the eyes), and there is a good bit of action and comedy. Is this the best movie you’ll see? No, not by a longshot, but it is enjoyable and worth a viewing or two just for fun. I know its 2020, but fun is still allowed, right? I highly recommend this one.
4 out of 5 stars
Mystery Man's Musings 