A seven year old with an over-active imagination has a deep fear of the new arrival into his perfect family. Tim is content enjoying the undivided attention of his doting parents. But the imminent birth of a baby brother upsets his equilibrium.
One days Tim sees the new baby arrive – not in his mother’s arms, swathed in soft cloth, but striding down the path in a suit carrying a briefcase. Tim is convinced the baby is wearing the pants in the family and is staging some kind of hostile takeover. His suspicions are augmented when he overhears baby talking on his toy phone. By and by, Tim learns that baby is from “middle management” at Baby Corp sent to Earth to spy on his parents. Tim’s parents work for Puppy Co., headed by Francis Francis. Puppy Co. manufactures pets and is about to unveil their latest creation, one that threatens to further reassign love from babies to puppies. Baby boss’s assignment is to gather intel on Puppy Co.’s latest creation and report back to head office.
Babies are being threatened because human love is being reallocated to, and dominated by, pet dogs. This slim premise and the limited gags can only get that much of a boost with the talented voice cast of Alec Baldwin (baby), Miles Bakshi (Tim), Steve Buscemi (Francis Francis, Puppy Co. boss), Jimmy Kimmel (Dad), Lisa Kudrow (mom) and Tobey Maguire (narrator).
Tim and baby ally to finish the assignment so that Tim can be reinstated as sole beneficiary of parental love. The ending is, of course all schmaltzy as Tim overcomes his sibling rivalry and embraces the idea of having a little brother.
Directed by Tom McGrath and based on a book by Marla Frazee, this 3D, animated film is fine for a one time watch. How can a film with a baby in a suit not be cute in parts? But that’s all it is – cute in parts. The parents are background and emotion runs as deep as milk in the bottle of a lactose-intolerant baby.