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The Babymakers

The Babymakers is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. The story centers on Tommy Macklin, a man who discovers his infertility after struggling to conceive with his wife Audrey, prompting him to recruit his old army buddies to rob a sperm bank for his archived donation from years earlier. Starring Paul Schneider as Tommy, Olivia Munn as Audrey, and featuring Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Erik Stolhanske, and Paul Soter as the heist team, the film was written by Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow. It premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 9, 2012, and received a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 3, 2012, distributed by Millennium Entertainment. The movie blends elements of heist comedy and marital , drawing comparisons to films like but set against the backdrop of fertility struggles and male insecurity. Produced by and others with a under $5 million, it emphasizes raunchy humor, , and the camaraderie of the comedy troupe, of which Chandrasekhar, Heffernan, Lemme, Stolhanske, and are members. Despite its premise, ultimately grossing $475,511 worldwide at the . Critically, The Babymakers received largely negative reviews, with a 8% approval rating on based on 50 reviews, where critics lambasted its crude jokes, predictable plot, and uneven execution. On , it holds a 5.0/10 rating from over 9,000 users, praised by some for its cast chemistry but criticized for lacking originality and depth. Roger Ebert awarded it 1/4 stars, calling it a "laugh-free exercise" that reinforces conservative through juvenile antics. The film has since found a niche audience on streaming platforms like , where it continues to be viewed for its irreverent take on parenthood and relationships.

Production

Development

The initial concept for The Babymakers stemmed from screenwriter Peter Gaulke's personal experiences with infertility alongside his wife, which inspired the story's central premise of a couple struggling to conceive. The screenplay was co-written by Gaulke and Gerry Swallow, focusing on a comedic narrative centered around fertility challenges. The screenplay was initially acquired by Warner Bros., which developed about 10 drafts but let the project lapse after failing to attach a major comedy star; producer Jason Blum then picked it up for low-budget independent production and recruited director Jay Chandrasekhar after he read the script and expressed interest. The film was produced by in association with Duck Attack Films—Chandrasekhar's company—Automatik Entertainment, and presented by , with handling certain international aspects. The budget was established at $2.5 million, reflecting a low-cost approach typical of Chandrasekhar's prior work with the comedy troupe. Key creative decisions included blending elements—such as a robbery—with themes to generate raunchy humor, allowing the film to explore personal struggles through exaggerated, ensemble-driven antics.

Casting and Filming

Paul Schneider was cast in the lead role of Tommy Macklin, selected for his experience in dramatic and comedic roles following his work on the television series . Olivia Munn portrayed Audrey Macklin, leveraging her rising prominence in projects at the time. Kevin Heffernan, a longtime collaborator of director from the comedy troupe , played the supporting role of Wade to contribute to the film's buddy dynamic. The supporting cast included as Zig-Zag, as Karen, and as Darrell. Additional appearances featured cameos from other members, including Chandrasekhar himself as Ron Jon. Principal photography occurred in and , utilizing practical locations to capture the film's comedic action sequences. Chandrasekhar, drawing from his experience directing projects like , incorporated improvisational elements during shooting to maintain a lively on-set energy. The production operated on a low budget, which necessitated an efficient and aggressive shooting schedule completed in under two months to ensure tight pacing in the final 98-minute . This approach allowed the team to overcome logistical challenges while focusing on the script's personal inspirations from co-writer Gaulke's experiences with .

Content

Plot

The Babymakers follows and , a married couple in their early thirties who have been trying to conceive for over a year without success. After undergoing , learns his sperm has low ("lazy sperm"), effectively rendering him infertile and plunging him into anxiety about his and their future as parents. Reflecting on his youth, recalls his time as a sperm donor during , where he made numerous deposits at a local to earn money for 's . However, the refuses to return his samples due to a new policy, and only one viable batch remains, which has already been sold to another couple. Desperate to provide with a biological using his own genetic material, hatches an audacious plan to steal the remaining samples for . To execute the , recruits a ragtag crew including his loyal best friend Wade, tech-savvy Zig-Zag, former Indian mob associate Ron Jon, and a few other eccentric accomplices, transforming their scheme into an amateur operation fraught with mishaps. What begins as a straightforward break-in escalates into comedic chaos, featuring bungled security breaches, high-speed chases, and unexpected personal revelations that test the group's bonds and expose vulnerabilities. The story culminates in a resolution that grapples with family dynamics and ethical quandaries surrounding treatments, delivering a humorous twist on the trials of parenthood while interweaving themes of male insecurity and the strains of modern relationships through relentless action.

Cast

The principal cast of The Babymakers includes Paul Schneider as Tommy Macklin, a man who discovers his and assembles a crew for a after failing to conceive with his wife. Schneider, known for dramatic roles in films like Lars and the Real Girl (2007), brings a grounded intensity to the lead. portrays Audrey Macklin, Tommy's supportive yet increasingly frustrated wife navigating their challenges. Munn, recognized from dramatic turns in The Newsroom (2012–2014), adds emotional depth to the couple's dynamic. Supporting the leads is Kevin Heffernan as Wade, Tommy's loyal but comically inept best friend who helps orchestrate the heist. Heffernan, a veteran of the comedy troupe behind (2001), delivers the film's physical humor through his bumbling antics. plays Zig-Zag, the tech-savvy wildcard in the heist team, contributing improvisational flair drawn from his work in comedies like (2013). Aisha Tyler appears as Dr. Karen, the fertility clinic physician who diagnoses Tommy's condition and unwittingly sets the plot in motion. Tyler's sharp delivery enhances the medical scenes with wit. portrays Darrell, the vigilant security guard at the , providing a formidable obstacle for the crew. is cast as Mona, the no-nonsense manager overseeing the facility. The ensemble features additional contributions from as Ron Jon, a crew member and the film's director, leveraging his [Broken Lizard](/page/Broken Lizard) experience for chaotic energy. plays Allison in a supporting capacity, adding to the comedic ensemble. This blend of dramatic actors like Schneider and Munn with comedy specialists from , including Heffernan and Chandrasekhar, aims to balance heartfelt moments with the film's raucous heist humor.

Release

Premiere and Distribution

The Babymakers had its world premiere at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival on March 9, 2012, in Austin, Texas, screening in the Narrative Spotlight section. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 3, 2012, distributed by Millennium Entertainment, with simultaneous availability on video-on-demand platforms following an earlier Ultra VOD rollout on July 3. Internationally, distribution was similarly restricted, including a release in Canada through Alliance Films and limited showings in select markets such as the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Iceland, reflecting the film's modest production budget which precluded a broader global rollout. Marketing efforts positioned The Babymakers as a raunchy in the vein of heist films, with official trailers emphasizing the robbery premise and crude humor to appeal to fans of director Jay Chandrasekhar's collective, known for titles like Super Troopers. The film runs 98 minutes and carries an from the of America for crude sexual content, language, and drug use.

Box Office and Home Media

The Babymakers had a limited theatrical release on August 3, 2012, opening in 10 theaters and earning $5,215 during its first weekend. The film ultimately grossed $7,889 domestically, with worldwide earnings reaching $475,511, far short of recouping its estimated $2.5 million production budget and marking it as a box office bomb. Its underperformance was attributed to the restricted release strategy, stiff competition from major summer blockbusters like The Dark Knight Rises, and the niche appeal of its fertility-themed comedy, which limited broader audience reach. On home media, The Babymakers was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Millennium Entertainment on September 18, 2012. The editions included special features such as behind-the-scenes featurettes focusing on the sequences, cast and crew interviews, and a trailer montage, providing insights into the film's production challenges and comedic elements. Following its theatrical and run, the film became available for digital purchase and rental on platforms including and starting in late 2012. By 2025, it continued to stream on services like , , and , though without any significant re-releases or remastered editions to boost its commercial profile.

Reception

Critical Response

The Babymakers received predominantly negative reviews from critics, who found its blend of heist and fertility-themed humor to be largely ineffective. On , the film has an approval rating of 8% based on 51 reviews, with an average score of 3.5 out of 10; the criticizes it for mistaking raunchiness for while squandering a capable cast on gags and failed punchlines. Similarly, assigns it a score of 30 out of 100, based on 17 reviews, categorizing the reception as "generally unfavorable." A few reviewers highlighted sporadic strengths, such as the chemistry between leads Paul Schneider and , which lent some charm to the couple's dynamic, and occasional cleverness in the fertility-related jokes. noted the film's "clever concept" tying groin injuries to the protagonist's woes, along with a handful of big laughs amid the raucous farce, though it deemed the overall effort a trifle suited more for home viewing than theaters. At its SXSW premiere, observed that the movie elicited laughs from the audience but predicted limited broader appeal due to its niche, lowbrow style. Critics widely panned the film as crass, uneven, and tonally inconsistent, with forced heist sequences and underdeveloped supporting characters undermining the premise. awarded it 1 out of 4 stars, describing it as "utterly clueless about its tone" and relentlessly self-sabotaging in its execution. The found it starting as an "agreeable, playfully off-color" comedy before devolving into "slack, tacky slapstick." criticized its juvenile focus on reproductive essentialism, calling it less foul-mouthed and far less funny than director Jay Chandrasekhar's prior efforts like . Reviews often compared The Babymakers to the ensemble-driven antics of Broken Lizard's earlier works but faulted it for lacking their zippy energy and originality, resulting in generic gags and feeble pacing. Some critiques, particularly from outlets like Slant, pointed to the sperm-centric humor reinforcing traditional roles around manhood and , with undertones that some viewed as objectifying. Notable quotes include Alonso of The Wrap labeling it "inconceivably unfunny" for its labored and clunky execution, and ReelViews decrying its "serious composition problems" despite the promising premise.

Legacy

Following its 2012 release, The Babymakers did not spawn any sequels or major revivals by 2025, remaining a standalone project outside the core Broken Lizard filmography. Director Jay Chandrasekhar continued his career in television directing post-release, helming episodes of series such as Workaholics in 2014 and The Grinder in 2015, before returning to feature films with Super Troopers 2 in 2018. The film received one minor award nomination at the 2012 SXSW for the Audience Award in the Narrative Spotlight category but won no major accolades. Despite poor initial critical reception, including an 8% approval rating on and a 30/100 score on , The Babymakers has since developed a modest , particularly among fans of Broken Lizard's improvisational style. As of 2025, the film is available for streaming on platforms including but has not achieved staple status in comedy catalogs.

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