The English title of the French family flick DEMANDEZ LA PERMISSION AUX ENFANTS, KID POWER is a major surprise for hitting the right nerves.  Writer/director Eric Civanyan’s film deals with three families with uncontrollable children.  Obviously the kids are spoiled, get their way and enrage everyone – audience included. 

But KID POWER is not a film Civanyan compromises with.  Mild swearing is abundant.  A scene has one father smoking a cigarette when taking out the garbage and another a mother tossing the daughter over the balcony.  Civanyan’s story is basic formulaic fare – where parents take revenge over the kids with a message so that all learn a lesson.  But Civanyan, encroyable with comedic timing, directs fast to project the hysteria and madness of raising kids.  The humour is broad an occasionally crude – like the segment in which one father screws the toilet seat down after sneaking his son a laxative.  I was falling apart with laughter and I bet watching this film in theatre full of entertained parents would be the ideal time out.