| 'BIG
MOMMA' IS A BIG PROBLEM..
Written
by Dean Kish
Edited by Andrew
Marcus
Cast:
Martin Lawrence (Malcom Turner), Nia Long (Sherry),
Paul Giamatti (John), Terrence DaShon Howard (Lester),
Anthony Anderson (Nolan)
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Premise:
An
FBI agent goes undercover as a large grandmother
nicknamed "Big Momma" in order to track
a bank robber and protect his girlfriend.
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Overall
Rating:
Rated PG-13
for crudge humor, sexual innuendo, language, mild violence
Martin
Lawrence stars in his second major Hollywood vehicle,
but can this film overcome the comparisons to an Eddie
Murphy comedy or “the black Mrs. Doubtfire”? Let's see...
Lawrence stars as undercover FBI agent Malcolm Turner
who is trying to capture a nasty prison escapee and
bank robber before he can leave with the money. While
tracking the con, Turner discovers that the bank robber’s
girlfriend is leaving the abusive con and fleeing to
her grandmother’s (or "Big Momma's") house.
After assembling a stakeout outside the grandmother’s
house, Turner discovers that the grandmother is leaving
for a trip. Panicking, Turner assumes the role of Big
Momma and greets her arriving granddaughter.
Big
Momma has a lot of problems. First of all, Lawrence
tries his very best to make the material funnier than
it really is. It is sad to see such a talented man lost
in such an ugly script. It is unfortunate that Hollywood
placed this poor actor in such an obviously unfunny
project. I can remember the 1980’s and the huge success
of Eddie Murphy. But what made Eddie so successful was
that the scripts accented his unique comedic talents.
In recent years, the subtler Murphy has found success
with the “Nutty Professor” and “Dr. Dolittle” but they
have never recaptured the magic of his earlier works.
The
main problem with Big Momma is the script, and
that it can’t seem to bring out the comedy trapped in
Lawrence. The main comedic elements in this film are
things we have seen countless times before. Some of
the elements are the obvious fat jokes: the man in the
woman's clothes gags and the dashing around as the main
star tries to assume two identities at the same time.
Some scenes are a direct rip-off of Mrs. Doubtfire with
a "black" theme tucked in. During the cooking
scene, I was waiting for Lawrence’s huge fake breasts
to catch fire but they never did and neither did the
humor. Maybe within this film are elements that will
appeal to some audiences, but for me, I found the whole
experience very trying.
(1
of 5) So Says the Soothsayer.
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