Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Javier is what we have dubbed as a "husband-in-law." That is that without taking care of the care of the house and children at all, he knows exactly what needs to be done, and that he continuously collects a sum of sentences from the type: "It is that you do not organize", or "do not get nervous", you already consider that overflowing woman drowns in a glass of water. Javier will have to face the reality of dealing with five children (between four and twelve years old) when his wife decides to go on a trip and leave him alone with them. The chaotic situation that takes place at home will progressively evolve ecologically to the most absolute disaster, but at the same time it will give parents and children the opportunity to meet and enjoy themselves for the first time.
Father There Is Only One is a crowd-pleasing Spanish family comedy built on a well-worn premise — the clueless dad left alone with the kids. The plot delivers competent situational comedy with warmth and some genuine laughs, though it follows a highly predictable arc of chaos-to-bonding. Acting from the ensemble, including Santiago Segura, is charming and energetic without being exceptional. Cinematography is functional and TV-movie in feel, with little visual ambition. Novelty is low — the fish-out-of-water dad premise has been done countless times internationally, and this iteration doesn't add a distinctive voice or spin. The ending is satisfying and emotionally resonant in the way the genre demands, wrapping things up warmly if predictably.