RV (2006) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Underrated Road Trip
Is RV (2006) a good movie? Surprisingly, yes. RV is a formulaic but genuinely funny 2006 family comedy. Despite suffering from an era of unwarranted critical hate, it boasts solid laughs, great symbolism, and a heartwarming performance from Robin Williams, earning a respectable spot in our ultimate movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is RV About?
Bob Munro (Robin Williams) is a stressed-out corporate executive who promises his family a dream vacation in Hawaii, only to secretly replace it with a cross-country RV road trip so he can attend a mandatory business meeting in Colorado. As the family deals with malfunctioning equipment, rival campers, and mounting frustration, Bob is forced to confront his workaholic priorities and reconnect with his neglected family.
What Works: Structure, Symbolism, and Heart
We like to pretend the "Robin Williams hate era" didn't happen, but RV is a perfect example of that unnecessary backlash, because the movie actually isn't that bad. It has structure, themes, and symbolism. The RV, dubbed "The Big Rolling Turd", literally represents the family: pristine on the outside but hollow and resented by everyone on the inside. As the vehicle gets worn down and broken, the family grows closer, eventually singing songs about it by the end.
Furthermore, Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth are fantastic foils, playing a relentlessly kind family that the mean-spirited Munros simply cannot stand.
What Doesn't Work: Aggressive Family Dynamics
The slapstick is cartoonish and it relies on an unnecessary "liar's reveal". The biggest flaw is that the family often has to act like they utterly despise Bob just to create conflict, making them feel like the true villains of the early movie.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) -> RETIRED Robin Williams is the only person who could elevate a mandatory RV poop joke. However, this marks the official retirement of our 5-star rating system. Because Robin was physically incapable of phoning it in, and because he was unknowingly suffering from undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia during his later films, it is no longer fair or useful to assign a numerical score to his performances going forward.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: In my ranking, it lands just below Death to Smoochy. It is a shockingly solid family watch.
FAQ: RV (2006) Movie
What is the movie RV about? A stressed executive fakes a family vacation in a rented RV to secretly attend a business meeting in Colorado, leading to disastrous and hilarious consequences.
Why do critics hate the movie RV? Many critics dismissed it due to its silly marketing and formulaic slapstick, though our review notes it features surprisingly deep symbolism and heart.
How does Robin Williams' performance in RV rank? He earns our final 5-star score. Moving forward, we officially retired the rating system out of respect for his battle with undiagnosed Lewy Body Dementia.
