Saying &#8220Daddy Day Camp” is a bad movie is about as obvious as saying the sun is hot.

This unnecessary sequel to the 2003 Eddie Murphy hit &#8220Daddy Day Care” is predictably unwatchable – with a lazy script, lackluster direction and bad performances – but not quite as unbearable as one might think from the TV ads and trailers. Sure, it’s one of the worst movies of the year, but at least it’s not &#8220Epic Movie” or &#8220Perfect Stranger.”

Murphy wisely chose not to be attached to this project (I guess he is just too good for this material after making &#8220Norbit” earlier this year), but he isn’t the only one not returning – in fact, every returning character from &#8220Day Care” is now played by a different actor.

Cuba Gooding Jr. steps in as Charlie, who, along with pal Phil (Paul Rae), decides to invest in the rundown summer camp they attended as a child.

The camp is full of misfit kids who are about as humorous as having your spleen removed. (Too bad the kids come to Camp Driftwood and not Camp Crystal Lake from &#8220Friday the 13th”).

With the help of his marine father (Richard Gant), Charlie is able to whip the kids in shape and do battle with the rival camp, which is headed by Charlie’s childhood foe Lance (Lochlyn Munro).

There really isn’t anything too surprising about &#8220Daddy Day Camp,” especially if you’re familiar with films like &#8220Meatballs” and even crappy camp movies like &#8220Heavyweights” and &#8220Camp Nowhere.”

Gooding Jr. flails around with absolutely no comic ability. I realize his Oscar-winning performance in &#8220Jerry Maguire” included the line &#8220Show me the money,” but perhaps it’s time for the actor to stop accepting his roles with the same criteria.

Rae is no Jeff Garland (who played in the original, as if anyone noticed), and Munro’s performance is the same one he gave nine years ago in &#8220Dead Man on Campus.”

About the only surprise in &#8220Daddy Day Camp” is the fact that Fred Savage – yes, the Savage who starred on TV’s &#8220The Wonder Years” – directs.

It’s hard to say if Savage has any talent as a director, because the film feels like it is on autopilot. This is strictly direct-to-video material, and fortunately it will find its rightful home real soon.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is the ultimate 1980s guilty pleasure &#8220Flash Gordon” (B), which is finally available on DVD in the U.S. for the first time (a silver anniversary edition was released in Europe a couple of years ago).

Based on the 1930s comic strip, Sam J. Jones plays the title character, a New York Jets quarterback who becomes an unwilling passenger, along with the beautiful Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), on a rocket ship built by Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol).

Zarkov is convinced that the Earth is about to be destroyed and sets out to planet Mongo. Once the trio arrive, they learn that Zarkov’s fears are correct, and the evil Emperor Ming (Max von Sydow) is about to demolish Earth for his own pleasure. Flash, Zarkov and Dale set out to stop Ming’s evil intentions before Earth is erased forever.

I have to admit that &#8220Flash” is a really bad movie if you stop and think about it, but I have a soft spot for it – and not just because it features one of the most awesomely bad soundtracks ever by Queen.

The visual effects are top-grade ’80s cheese, while the dialogue might as well have been written by preteen boys – it’s a combination of geeky scientific babble and sexual innuendoes.

Meanwhile, the cast is all over the map.

I was surprised to learn that Jones still gets work (although mostly bit parts on TV series), while Anderson might be the worst actress in the history of cinema.

Sydow practically chews up the scenery, and I still laugh when I think about the fact that Zarkov is played by the same man who played Tevye in &#8220Fiddler on the Roof.”

There are other supporting roles that feature interesting casting, including the future James Bond, Timothy Dalton, and Richard O’Brien (Riff Raff from &#8220The Rocky Horror Picture Show”).

And then there is the delightful Brian Blessed as Vultan, the kooky leader of the hawk people. Blessed’s performance is the essence of &#8220Flash” – one that seems rather tongue-in-cheek with the realization that this film, for all its good intentions, is actually nothing more than a B-movie wannabe at best.

&#8220Flash Gordon” is rated PG for violence, language and sexual situations and is now available on DVD.

– Sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton is in talks with Hollywood about his first feature-length screenplay, &#8220Lindsay and Paris at Rehab Camp: The Musical,” and can be reached for comment by e-mailing mcompton@bgdailynews.com.