Man of the House: Movie & DVD Review (2005)

(Originally published 2005)

Tommy Lee Jones is the man, but not in a complimentary sense.

In the comedy-drama-thriller "Man of the House," he's Roland Sharp, a Texas Ranger protecting five University of Texas cheerleaders who witnessed a drug-related murder.

Because the plot requires him to, he moves into their house, where he watches over them, disciplines them, occasionally handcuffs them. It’s Jones’ stoic face that could take the bite out of crime.

It’s his love interest, Anne Archer, who is here to soften it.

Cedric the Entertainer appears as an ex-con caught in an awkward subplot that lands him in church, with no recourse but to preach and raise the roof. As a racial stereotype, it’s humiliating--but at least he wasn’t asked to reach deep inside the business end of a cow to receive a key piece of evidence, as Jones must do.

Still, don’t feel bad for him. As executive producer, Jones brought this house down on himself.

Grade: C-