Three Men and a Baby

The American remake of 3 Men and a Cradle is sleeker, costlier than the French original: the three swinging bachelors are still all thumbs around the infant which unexpectedly turns up on their doorstep, but shout less than the Frenchmen, and in the main eschew the klutzy walks. Inconvenient wee wees, poo poos, and nocturnal crying remain the same. As much of the action is confined to the bachelor pad, Nimoy was smart to fork out on the design. Even smarter, he pixillates little moments of life with Baby Mary, since it is much of a muchness. Guttenberg plays in the register hysterical, wearing a snorkel to entertain the six-month-old tot, Selleck features a roving dimple, and Danson changes from self-regarding sybarite to responsible parent, or nearest offer. It is shamelessly sentimental, and could well send the hardboiled home to kick the cat.