Instructions Not Included (2013)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Excellent adaptation.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The Master Humorist. He's been doing humor for decades in Mexico. One has to only say "Que alguien me explique" to see how large and ubiquitous his influence is.Here his humor is interspersed throughout the entire movie. But, without giving away much, I'd point out 2 Classic Derbez moments.One is the shocker and burst-out-laughing moment during the "mommy-auditions". The other is when the school principal is dumbfounded to see the mom in school for the first time. His satirical comment along the lines of "...she's just getting back from paying the cab driver... something about not having enough change or something...". (You'll see the full meaning when you watch the movie.)Loreto Peralta as Maggie is incredible. Her performance was riveting. Perfect timing, perfect responses. I went looking for other performances/movies and found none! Impressive new-comer! As impressive were the gut-wrenching performances by both Derbez and Jessica Lindsey (the mom).Derbez's directorial debut is impressive. Well, not really. One could hardly expect any less since he's been doing much of everything in the TV world for a long time.He well deserves the accolades.BTW, Derbez's appearance in the comedy "Rob" (2012 CBS TV Series), where his short on-screen time overshadowed the main character, was an early forecast of the things to come.

Wow! What a great movie! Why didn't this do better than it did?It is subtitled….maybe folks don't want to read subtitles, but if you can just decide to do it, I highly recommend this film! The film is in Spanish.The acting is great…..such a suburb story. I really got into it and got choked up. I don't want to spoil it, but just see this film!!I will watch this one again for sure. (I have a re-watch list).Really touching bonding story. It is also really good for any parent.Good camera work too. Super editing. The story is probably the best part of all. The pacing is just right also.

This movie simply charmed the pants off of me. I laughed and cried. It just ran the whole gamut of emotions. It was such a simple yet effective script. Plays kind of a ladies man who has sex with woman after woman and eventually get one pregnant. She dumps the child with him and he falls in love. I don't think this is t much of a spoiler because it happens in the first 20 minutes of the movie and you see it all coming a mile away. The rest of the movie is what counts. I don't want stay to much, but the father and daughter's relationship is so perfect. I've always been so impressed with Mexican made movies. They manage to be simple and profound at the same time. Thought provoking without going completely over my head. A lot of times they're a little depressing though.

I laughed and I cried. The actors were sincere and believable. I don't want to include any spoilers but I cried several times throughout. If you have children or a heart for them and have ever triumphed over huge obstacles in your life you will probably claim this movie to be one of your all time favorites.The father is dedicated and facing huge hurdles upon coming into America in search of his babies mother. What happens next will touch your heart. The little girl is a fantastic actress she speaks perfect Spanish and plays her part perfectly, its hard not to believe the story is real. Even the absent mom makes you really feel the anger of her daughters abandonment from the moment she walks away. My emotions were really touched in every way possible. From love to loss I left this movie only wanting more. I would highly recommend seeing this movie.