With Cheaper By the Dozen's single great asset, Clifton Webb, out of the picture, making this sequel was a bad idea. The other characters can't pull up the slack -- there are too many to define well, too few that are interesting, and it's difficult to keep them all apart. There are a very small number of scenes that evoke smiles or concern, but not very many with the charm that graced the original. Furthermore, an awkward and unwelcome decision was made to add a musical element to the film that simply doesn't work. In short, this is an extraordinarily dull movie.