We’ve seen the tale of a Lothario who finds his life changed by a child he’s forced to raise on his own. It’s a staple of cinema as it combines a relatively cute child, shenanigans and a fish out of water scenario. Instructions Not Included was an under the radar hit this summer, crossing the $40 million mark domestically, without a ton of promotion, publicity or advertising and became one of the highest grossing Spanish language features ever. Not bad for a small film from Mexico, no?
It found its audience through word of mouth in the Spanish language community and managed to find a consistent audience amid the summer blockbuster season. The film focuses on Valentin Bravo (Eugenio Derbez), Acapulco’s resident Lothario, when he’s given a big surprise. An ex-girlfriend drops off his daughter for him to raise and Valentin now has to grow up and find a real job because he has another mouth to feed besides his own.
This isn’t a great film – a marginally a good one at best – but it’s a bellwether for Hollywood in one regard. It, like Tyler Perry’s films before it, show that a portion of the fanbase will come out for films targeted at them (in this case Spanish speaking audiences). There isn’t anything special about Instructions Not Included outside of that fact that it’s in Spanish, probably a reason why it found an audience in the first place, as we’ve seen this film done any number of times and done better.
Even the final act is something we’ve seen before, emotionally manipulative at best and mean at worst. This is a film that found an audience because of a distinct lack of alternative in the market, not because it was a good film. Recommendation to avoid.
An audio commentary is the only extra.
Lionsgate presents Instructions not included . Directed by Eugenio Derbez. Starring Eugenio Derbez, Jessica Lindsey, Loreto Peralta. Running time: 115 minutes. Rated: PG-13. Released: January 21, 2014.
