Rob Schneider's Arizona-based 'Daddy Daughter Trip' is one you don't want to take

There is a sweet little story buried deep inside “Daddy Daughter Trip” and Rob Schneider has no idea how to get at it.

Schneider, best known for his stint on “Saturday Night Live” and showing up in his pal Adam Sandler’s movies, stars in the film, which was shot in Arizona, and directs it.

It’s a family affair; his wife, Patricia Maya Schneider, co-wrote it and their daughter, Miranda Scarlett Schneider, plays Schneider’s daughter in the movie. His daughter from a previous marriage, the singer Elle King, has a cameo.

How nice for them.

Seriously, if Schneider is in a position to get a movie made and put his family in it, good for him. It makes for an interesting story, maybe.

But it makes for a bad movie. And including his daughter in the production feels like using her as a human shield against critics.

Schneider shot the film in Arizona. The scenery is better than the plot

Schneider plays Larry Bublé, as in Michael Bublé; more on that presently. He’s a good-natured ne’er do well, working lots of side hustles while hoping one of his inventions takes off. It seems unlikely; they include a fan attached to a spoon that is supposed to cool your soup and a hula hoop rigged with a shower curtain that allows you privacy should you need to go to the bathroom outside. It’s called, yes, the hula poop.

If you laughed at that, congratulations. “Daddy Daughter Trip” is the movie for you.

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Larry is married to Megan, who is played by Jackie Sandler — wife of Adam, again keeping it in the (extended) family. Their daughter Meara (Miranda Scarlett Schneider) longs to go on the kind of spring-break trip her classmates brag about, but there’s no way the bumbling Larry can afford it.

The set-up does provide a good line. Meara complains that last year Larry promised her a great spring break this year. Larry tells her: well, last year we just flat-out lied to your face.

Every parent’s been there.

Larry loves his daughter. He tries to spend as much time with her as possible. He tells her stories and she illustrates them, for instance. He wants to do the right thing.

So he tries a low-rent version of spring break. For instance, he takes her to a “water park” which is, in fact, a car wash, where he gets out and climbs all over the car while it’s going through.

Determined to improve on things, Larry sneaks Meara into a swank Scottsdale resort, where they meet the famous travel influencers Fernanda and Santiago Arachavaleta (Mónica Huarte and Miguel Ángel Muñoz), who are checking in with their nephew Theo (Gavin Guerrero). One mishap leads to another — sort of, a lot of the structure of the film and its plot is random — and soon Larry and Meara are tagging along on the kind of spring break Meara dreamed of.

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Arizona destinations include Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale, the requisite glimpse of the red rocks in Sedona, as well as dinner at Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill, which goes heroically wrong.

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The continued presence of Larry and Meara with the Arachavaletas requires the couple to inadvertently harm Larry, including but not limited to disfiguring injury. Word to the wise: Don’t try opening a champagne bottle with a knife without supervision.

Or maybe that’s a word to the unwise. That would certainly be on-brand here.

A film of diversions without a destination

Meara’s artistic talent goes from a pleasant aside to a central plot line, just one diversion the story takes. John Cleese has a cameo (!), as does his daughter Camilla. Michael Bublé actually shows up, as well. It's good to have friends.

It’s fun to see Bashas’ grocery stores show up in the movie and to try to pick out the various neighborhoods and landmarks. (The film includes a lovely depiction of Camelback Mountain.) Bonus points for a scene shot in the Tempe location of Changing Hands Bookstore.

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Alas, it’s not a travelogue. It’s a comedy. Sort of. Stupid humor is Schneider’s stock in trade. Nothing wrong with that. Stupid humor can be great.

But it has to be funny. And “Daddy Daughter Trip” isn’t.

Too often the jokes don’t land. Neither does the physical comedy. The story doesn’t really hold. It’s clear that Schneider and his daughter love each other, and this film is a way to express that.

But it’s a lot to ask of the rest of us to watch it.

'Daddy Daughter Trip' 1.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Director: Rob Schneider.

Cast: Rob Schneider, Miranda Scarlett Schneider, Jackie Sandler.

Rating: Not rated.

Note: In Harkins Theatres on Sept. 30.

Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Subscribe to the weekly movies newsletter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Daddy Daughter Trip' movie review: Rob Schneider's film stars Arizona