In this movie review, I’ve tried to minimise the spoilers but all the same an alert shall be issue.
Oh Ship! It’s a Family Trip is a family movie. The film lasts 75 minutes and is entertaining enough with some quite original touches to the genre. It follows a teenager, the daughter of a single dad, as she has to cope with the announcement of the marriage of her parent with another single parent.
The format of the movie is interesting. At times, with the young girl’s narration, the superimposed colourful subtitles, it feels like going through the diary of the female teenager she is. At times, with the rare but purposeful shaky cams, the occasional serious conversations, it feels like a documentary into the real life of a blending family in the making.
There are moments that drag a little and it was a little slow to start. There are moments that are just cute like the growth of the teenage girl and her little surprise for her dad. There are more realistic moments than not, from the bored teenager to the experimental party of youngsters, to the grown up trying to have a good time. Even the perceived dragon of a stepmother is portrayed as the one-sided rebellion against change that it is.
One thing did annoy me. I was promised a sabotage and I did not get one. Granted, when Hannah, the narrator and main character realised that she might not have to do anything after all because her potentially-to-be stepmother might just self-sabotage, she justified her way out. Still, the child in me feels like it would have been way more fun to see her sink the proposed cruise wedding almost à la Home Alone. For one, the alternative the movie showed, while more likely, was also less child-led.
The majority of the Oh Ship! It’s a Family Trip movie happens on a cruise ship and, purposely or not, promotes the advantages of the environment for single parents while mentioning some possible downsides.
I did enjoy Oh Ship! It’s a Family Trip. I particularly like the way it comes naturally together and makes sense in the end. I enjoyed the fun end credits, from the music video to the German character recovering his lost possessions. I did think that while it is a family movie, it is a lot about the growth of a teenager that enables positive change, within the framework of a single main event.
The film also throws in the pre-wedding doubts and jitters, expressed in different ways. From the judgemental to the rebellious, without it being theatrical, two people, as excited about the outcome as they are start revendicating their individuality. This reminds us of how much the more formal tie of marriage makes the reality of a couple more obvious.
It is interesting to watch fun and analytical mix as if opposites just don’t have to contradict each other, a bit like the parents in this film.
Oh Ship! It’s a Family Trip is now available for your viewing pleasure for free on Amazon prime USA and Amazon Prime UK.