Big Mamma

Why did I rent this movie? I don't really appreciate Martin Lawrence, not his old TV show nor his stand-up routine. But I did rent it nonetheless, fearing that I'd wasted my $2.99 after returning home.

My fears were ungrounded. This movie is actually funny, hysterically so in a few scenes. Not to mislead the reader, I have to state that this movie is nothing great; it's actually just a trifle. Just suspend all belief as Lawrence portrays an FBI agent who dons a fat-suit in order to impersonate the 350-pound aunt of the lovely young suspect Lawrence and his partner are tailing. Of course, no one, not even the aunt's suitor, can tell the difference. If you can get by this absurd premise, "Big Momma's House" contains some really rib-tickling slapstick. When Lawrence, while impersonating Big Mama, is required to mid-wife a birth...that scene alone is worth the $2.99.

I loved "Big Momma's House" way back when it first came out & watched it alot on video, i already liked Martin Lawrence in Blue Streak & Bad Boys so seeing him play another Cop type of role in another big Comedy was exciting to me, & i have always loved Cop Films or the Buddy-cop genre.

Now, most films i loved as a kid or in my younger days i still genuinely love now & hold them dear to my heart or have deep Nostalgia for but with "Big Momma's House" i now find it a little too stupid & too silly now, but hey IT'S supposed to be isn't it. Martin Lawrence gives a very energetic performance & can be funny (not on an Eddie Murphy level) as he plays an FBI agent who goes deep undercover as a popular southern Big Momma to try & locate a running witness (Nia Long) to a big crime. The scenery is lovely with its summertime glow & the small town cosiness that those little Southern towns have. This is like a silly, goofy & rubbery mix of Stakeout meets The Nutty Professor, not as good as those films but still lots of fun. Terrence Howard plays the bad guy of the piece & Paul Giamatti plays Martin's fun FBI partner.

Anyway a few laughs are still there & there is a fun, frantic comedy energy present, & Martin is always good fun.

If you enjoy silly comedies like: The Nutty Professor films & Norbit then the Big Momma's House films will be right up your street.

When you have a movie with a title like "Big Momma's House", you shouldn't expect high art. I certainly wasn't, but sometimes that's okay - sometimes you just want an excuse to laugh.

Still, I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed with what they did here. The fault lies with the screenplay. For starters, it is not exactly original. While I wouldn't call this movie a blatant rip-off of "Stakeout", in several regards it's too close to that earlier movie for its own good. Speaking of familiar, another problem I had was that too many of the gags involving Lawrence as the cross-dressing FBI agent I had more or less seen in other movies before. Plus, the movie devotes far too much time to this than fleshing out the story - if what's here could be considered a story.

On the positive side, the movie is filled with energy, both in front of and behind the camera. There's enough energy that some viewers not wanting to think while watching a movie might find the enterprise enjoyable enough. If that sounds like you, you'll probably find this movie adequate. If you want more nutrition in your cinematic diet, look elsewhere.

Old school fun. Action. A movie you can watch on a Friday night for a laugh.

Looking at how this movie looked in advertising, part of me wanted to avoid it. However, years later I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and while it is an uneven film it is nowhere near as bad as it could have been. The story is briskly paced, but rather predictable and thin in places and some scenes do feel a little rushed. There are some funny lines and gags, but also ones that rely on gross-out humour and come across as uninspired. The characters can have a tendency to be irritating and also to be stereotyped. However, the movie does look good with striking locations and the filming is more than decent, and there is an energetic soundtrack. In the dialogue and gags that work, they are actually quite funny. The direction is better than average, as are the performances. Martin Lawrence seems to be really enjoying himself, and it was nice to see Paul Giamatti in support. In conclusion, not great but not bad either. 6/10 Bethany Cox