I apologize in advance- this review is a bit on the scathing side. But deservedly so, as studios need to realize that if sequels/remakes/reboots are going to be greenlit, they need to be at least remotely worthwhile.
When I first saw this on Netflix, I was both shocked and excited; I had not heard about a remake of Big Fat Liar being in the works, but BFL was one of my absolute favorite movies as a kid, so I was hopeful about a fresh take on the story. This movie also had quite a bit of storytelling potential as far as explaining why the main character lied so much and why his friend put up with his nonsense for so long.
And then I saw no trace of Dan Schneider in the writing/producing credits. That was a hard pill to swallow, as he was the reason the original was so much fun, but still, I went into it cautiously optimistic. After all, I enjoyed Ricky Garcia and Jodelle Ferland in other things...
Twenty minutes in, I knew. I kept telling myself it could get better, so I stuck it out 'til the end, but it just didn't.
I'll start with the writing. It's awful. There were inconsistencies as glaring as the name of the video game in question; it switched between Bigger Fatter Liar and Big Fat Liar, so after watching the movie, I'm still not sure what the actual name is. Not to mention, I could swear Wolf's first name is Larry in the movie, but on IMDb he's listed as Alan. What? The biggest issue with the writing, however, is that it lacks everything that made Big Fat Liar special: quirkiness, charm, and most of all, LIFE. The remake was devoid of all of it. It didn't help that Wolf went from turning into a brightly colored clown to a black- and-white mime. Ironically fitting, however, as the new Wolf actor utterly paled in comparison to the brilliance of Paul Giamatti.
That brings me to the acting. Again, lifeless. The actors in the original oozed charisma and personality, whereas it is the complete opposite here.
Ricky Garcia- He's great as the lovable Naldo in Best Friends Whenever, but he clearly struggled with this role. I think Naldo is just easier to play, being the cartoonish Disney Channel sidekick that he is.
Jodelle Ferland- She was the one person who turned in a decent performance most of the time, but she is no Amanda Bynes and was held back by a lack of good material to work with.
Barry Bostwick- I'm not familiar with his past work, but from his credits I can tell that he's a respectable actor, so it's clear to me that he was more held back than anyone else. His performance was nothing special, but again, his material was nothing special.
Basically, this movie was written and directed by a guy who does Hallmark movies, and it showed.
Simply put, it just didn't work.
Don't waste time on this remake and go watch Big Fat Liar(2002) if you haven't already. You'll thank me later.
