‘You love Sylvia and she loves you…’
The problem with Three Men and a Little Lady is not that it’s bad. It’s a perfectly serviceable early 90s comedy sequel. No, the problem is that the original is just so damn good that this second entry suffers in comparison…
The problem is the set-up. Instead of Messrs Selleck, Danson and Guttenberg dealing with the trials and tribulations of raising a now five-year-old daughter (a delightful performance from Robin Weisman), we are instead lumbered with an unearned and predictable love triangle between Selleck’s soulful architect, Mary’s mother Sylvia (Nancy Travis) and her hilariously villainous British fiance Edward (Christopher Cazenove). There are still some nice moments – particularly in the opening 30 minutes – but the plot suffers greatly as soon as the action is transposed to the British countryside.
What made the first film so magical was the premise and the chemistry of the three male leads. Unfortunately, director Emile Ardolino fails to make lightning strike twice. Too often, the script relies on sentimentality or broad comedy rather than the natural charm of the central trio. The unnecessary trip to England in the third act is also a misstep from which the film never really recovers. The final scene is particularly generic – even Tom Selleck can’t save a scene in which the male character crashes the wedding of his love interest to declare his undying love for her.
Three Men and a Little Lady is enjoyable fluff but it’s not a patch on the original.