Josh Duhamel directs, produces and stars in the light, breezy and mostly family-friendly comedy, “Preschool”. It’s a silly yet oddly endearing movie that gets most of its mileage out of a game cast whose charm and conviction keep things afloat. At times it threatens to push the antics too far. But Duhamel the director keeps things wrangled together, delivering a big-hearted crowd-pleaser anchored by a fun ensemble.

Penned by screenwriter Richard D’Ovidio, “Preschool” is a pretty basic brew, flavored with some fairly familiar ingredients. Two men fly off their rockers in a childish rivalry while their level-headed and far more mature wives endure their husbands’ nonsense, becoming good friends in the process. The ‘dumb guys tolerated by smarter women‘ bit is nothing especially new. But there’s enough humor and heart here to make the blemishes easier to overlook.

The story revolves around two couples vying for one spot at a prestigious (and notably pretentious) London preschool. Brian Young (Michael Socha) grew up with nothing and had to work extra hard to build the adequate life he shares with his wife Sarah (Antonia Thomas). Since their son Dylan was born, Brian has obsessively spent four years prepping the child for a life he never had. And it begins with getting him into the distinguished preschool program at Puggsley Academy of Excellence.

Unfortunately for Brian, there is another finalist for the last vacancy at Puggsley. It is Grace, the daughter of the ridiculously rich Alan and Lauren Williams (Duhamel and Charity Wakefield). Alan is an aspiring restaurateur who proudly carries himself as a pampered elite. In reality, his wealth came on the back of wife who inherited their fortune from her family. But that doesn’t stop Alan from feeling his daughter is entitled to the last spot at Puggsley.

The two couples meet during an introductory tour at the Academy. The wives hit it off while their husbands immediately begin jockeying for the favor of the school’s Dean (Fenella Woolgar). Afterwards, as a friendly gesture, Lauren invites the Youngs to their house for dinner, much to Alan’s chagrin. Brian agrees to go, but only as a chance to scope out his son’s competition. Instead of breaking the ice, the evening only fuels the friction between the two dads.

Like their wives, we quickly begin to recognize that Brian and Alan are surprising similar despite their dramatically different backgrounds. Both are driven yet hardheaded. And both seriously lack self-confidence, to the point of trying to prove themselves through their children. And that leads to a comical mano-a-mano game of one-upmanship which gets more outrageous as their rivalry intensifies. Bribery, deception, sabotage – nearly everything is on the table.

While “Preschool” serves up several good laughs, not all of the humor works as intended. For example, there’s a woefully unfunny bit involving a children’s television group called “The Wild & Crazies”, who dress as jungle animals and sing songs about flatulence. Thankfully that’s just a small slice of an otherwise enjoyable family comedy that is sure to entertain and surprise a lot of people. “Preschool” is now available on VOD.