SYNOPSIS: When the world’s most irresponsible babysitter takes three of the world’s worst kids on an unforgettable overnight adventure through the streets of New York City, it’s anyone’s guess who’s going to make it home in one piece. THE SITTER is a new level of twisted and debauched hilarity from the director of Pineapple Express, starring Jonah Hill.

REVIEW: So you might be thinking that this is a tossup, right? Is it going to be a nasty, roll on the floor comedy or a lame remake of a familiar plot, say like Adventures in Babysitting? Although it does have some funny moments sprinkled with some shock humor, this film leans more towards the lame remake only that it is a rated R version. Speaking of which, there is something a little disturbing about R rated comedies of this type that include a lot of children in its cast. Getting R rated laughs at the expense of children is questionable and unnecessary. Regardless, the movie’s humor is good at times but you might be expecting more. Overall the movie is just too typical. It’s weak and tacky and at times it’s almost boring. It’s a cookie cutter production down to the attempt to include some drama in the midst of the adventure. But even with all that, it does have some redeeming aspects. Sam Rockwell gives a sharp performance as usual and he helps keep the movie afloat. The kids nailed their respective roles as well, each of them with their distinctive character. Landry Bender, the little girl, is probably the one that stands out the most. Her cute, over-made up face and snazzy attitude is a treat to watch. So how about the star of the show, Jonah Hill, you ask? Well, he was good, but not much better than anything else he has ever done. He was perfectly cast for the role though. It is his kind of character.

This is a new take on an old storyline which makes it that much more challenging for the movie makers. They took the gamble but fell a little short. Part of the problem is the lackluster dialogue. It is missing freshness. The movie as a whole is just not that fulfilling. It is surprising that Director David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) couldn’t bring more out of the film. It just has too much going against it to completely overcome. Now even though I’ve been bashing this movie left and right, it’s really not that bad (maybe as a movie night at home rental). The key is that you can’t expect a whole lot out of this film and then maybe you won’t be disappointed.