Malcolm In The Middle: Life’s Still Unfair Review - Bryan Cranston Shines In Hulu’s Middling Revival

When Malcolm in the Middle initially aired in the early 2000s, it brought a new meaning to the phrase “dysfunctional family.” In addition to some truly wild moments — the clown brawl, a family reunion golf cart fiasco, Dewey's opera, to name a few — the sitcom still found a way to remain heartfelt and honest when it came to family relationships. Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair shows glimpses of the groundbreaking original series, but ultimately, the revival falls short due to its short episode count and pacing.

Even though Malcolm’s name is in the title, much of the original show's success came down to the entire ensemble cast. Each member of the family brought a different level of chaos, with their interactions either resulting in a trail of destruction or a shocking, and sometimes, heartwarming, revelation. Two decades later, not much has changed in that sense, and unsurprisingly, Bryan Cranston’s role as the family patriarch is still a notable standout.

Cranston is just one of a number of returning cast members who have a prominent role in the revival, which is filled out by a few key additions. There are also several surprising cameos by the end of Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair, including a random appearance from a star of a hit Netflix show. Though some level of nostalgia is necessary for any revival series, the cast can only do so much in four short episodes.

The Malcolm in the Middle revival gets off to a rocky start due to its foundational (and illogical) premise. We’re led to believe that Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) went away to college and had a daughter named Leah (Keeley Karsten) before becoming a single father. He then proceeded to keep her existence a secret for more than a decade. However, the revival makes it clear that he isn’t totally cut off from his family. In fact, the notion that he might miss his parents’ anniversary party instantly leads Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) to show up unannounced at his house. This is where things truly don’t add up.

Malcolm’s parents would travel for a day to force him to come to a family event, but he somehow managed to hide Leah from everyone well into her teenage years? Leah is also somewhat of a loner, so instead of giving her an actual family, as wacky as they might be, he lies to her, too, and doesn’t even reveal the extent of his large family. Malcolm was never that much of a likable character in a traditional sense, but his treatment of his family from both sides is just flat out cruel in the revival. And this is after the initial series finale reiterated how much the family cared about one another, even if it was in their weird, unorthodox ways.

Following Malcolm's lies, it takes most of the revival to genuinely reunite the core family. By then, it’s almost too little too late, but there are flashes of the original series and its charm. Given more time and a bigger episode count, perhaps the revival could be more true to form, relying more on Malcolm dealing with the entire family, as Leah gets to know her relatives. However, after waiting 20 years for a proper revival, Life’s Still Unfair as a whole underwhelms by wasting too much time to fully bring the family back together; those constant and chaotic full family interactions were always the best aspect of the original show.

Life's Still Unfair Only Scratches The Surface With Malcolm In The Middle's New & Returning Characters

Leah is quickly presented as the revival’s version of Malcolm, even down to the fourth wall breaks to add extra commentary for the viewers. Without being too repetitive, the character at least gives the series a perspective shift, allowing for a younger and more modern Malcolm-esque character to get some of the spotlight. With that said, Life’s Still Unfair’s four-episode format ends up limiting the potential surrounding the new characters, long-awaited reunions, and current family dynamics.

When it comes to the newcomers, the revival officially introduces Kelly (Vaughan Murrae), the sixth sibling teased in the original show’s series finale, who gets involved with a mess caused by Reese (Justin Berfield). Though not new, Caleb Ellsworth-Clark makes his debut as the official Dewey replacement, but his appearances are mostly limited to a screen presence through Zoom, lessening the absence of the original Dewey, Erik Per Sullivan.

As for the others, Reese is still Reese — take that any way you want. Francis (Christopher Masterson) and Piama (Emy Coligado) are still in the mix, and they’re about to enter a new chapter of their lives. Jamie (Anthony Timpano) is around but doesn’t factor into the story much now that he’s an adult. Then there’s Hal and Lois, who carry over their special relationship into the revival as they prepare for their big anniversary celebration. Jane Kaczmarek does an excellent job recapturing the demeanor of the domineering matriarch, but Bryan Cranston just steals every scene he's in.

Life’s Still Unfair Proves Bryan Cranston Is Still A Comedic Genius

While many might consider Walter White to be Bryan Cranston’s most notable role, I almost feel bad for those who never witnessed Cranston’s first run as Hal in the original Malcolm in the Middle. If it weren’t for Cranston, there likely wouldn’t even be a reunion project. Thankfully, Cranston doesn’t miss a beat when stepping back into Hal’s shoes, even when it comes to the character's bizarre quirks and hilarious ineptitude.

Hal and Lois may have aged a bit, just like all the returning characters, but they haven’t necessarily changed, and I mean that as a compliment, especially regarding Hal. Much of that has to do with Cranston’s commitment to the bit and how much the series embraces the actor’s physical comedy, like with the "Funky Town" rollerskating performance, competitive race walking, or Hal's iconic bee suit. Life’s Still Unfair rightfully doesn’t shy away from that form of comedy with Cranston.

Instead, in just four short episodes, the Malcolm in the Middle revival gives fans of the original show a few more standout Hal moments, including multiple alternate universe versions of the character. Interestingly enough, one of those versions of Hal that makes an appearance in the revival during a drug-induced sequence looks a little like Cranston’s character in The Studio. Those who have been missing Cranston’s physical comedy and his over-the-top characters would get a kick out of his performance as Griffin Mill, a skeevy Hollywood studio exec.

Though Cranston will be reprising his role for The Studio season 2, it’s unclear what the future holds for Malcolm in the Middle following this brief revival. Despite its flaws, Bryan Cranston’s presence as a comedic force of nature is reason enough to watch Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair. With the revival starting to click in the final episode, it would be fun to fully dive into the dysfunctional family without the attempts at separation.

All four episodes of Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair release April 10 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.