Critic's Grade: B

Partying. Carousing around. Dating every woman they meet. Life seems to have it all for roommates and fellow bachelors Peter (Tom Selleck), Michael (Steve Guttenberg), and Jack (Ted Danson), three men with high-paying jobs, high-profile social lives, a lavish penthouse in the Big Apple, and a near-complete lack of responsibility. Leave it to an irresponsible sexual encounter to bring to their attention Mary, Jack's infant daughter who has been dropped off by her frantic mother. With Jack out of town shooting a television commercial, it's up to Peter and Michael to put their lives on the back burner and take care of the child, which proves to be far more difficult than they could ever have imagined. From changing diapers to fending off a pair of drug dealers sent to pick up a package they know nothing about, at the end of the day, they have more "doodle" to put up with than it would appear they could handle.

But in the end, everything works out, and that's what makes movies like "Three Men and a Baby" so comfortable. What's so great about the film is how its three protagonists are met with every obstacle imaginable, from Peter's trip to the grocery store, where he discovers a cornucopia of choices for baby formula, to his and Michael's first-ever go at changing a dirty diaper. Actors Selleck, Guttenberg, and Danson were born for these roles, and their camaraderie as pals throughout the picture keeps everything lively and full of laughs. Things may wind down to a pretty predictable ending and a surprise arrival that throws everything into disarray, but they are minor missteps in a comedy that's as comfortable for laugh-lovers as a pacifier is to a baby.

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