The last I heard of actor/comedian Martin Lawrence,
he was in the hospital after overdoing a diet. According
to news reports, he was attempting to lose weight
for a movie role. Obviously, they weren't referring
to his role in "Big Momma's House", in which he is
Malcolm, an undercover FBI agent who poses as a very
obese old woman. Now why would a nice old lady be
under suspicion by the FBI? Her long-lost granddaughter
(Nia Long), on the run since her dangerous bank-robber
boyfriend escaped jail, is heading to grandma's house.
When Big Momma leaves on a trip, Malcolm dons a
fat suit, a wig, and a big, gaudy dress, to make his
entrance as Big Momma. Naturally, this setup leads
to some hilarious scenes. For starters, Malcolm has
to deter Big Momma's doting boyfriend, plus avoid
her gossip-group friends. When Long shows up with
her young son, Malcolm has to do a convincing job
of behaving exactly like Big Momma. (It's a good thing
Long hasn't seen her grandmother in years!)
If there's one thing that will discourage moviegoers
from eating greasy, butter-drenched popcorn (aside
from the fact that it's unhealthy and, in my opinion,
tastes gross), it's the sight of Big Momma filling
a frying pan with cooking lard, cooking oil, and a
big stick of butter. Ugh - who could eat food prepared
like that? Gag me! "Big Momma's House" makes the FBI
look like a bunch of bumbling idiots (Malcolm's partner
is particularly clueless) and proves unrealistic in
countless ways. This is like "Silence of the Lambs"
meets "The Three Stooges" - or two stooges, in this
case.
Never mind the slightly hokey and very predictable
plot, "Big Momma's House" does provide laughs. The
only prerequisite for enjoying this movie: You must
have a good sense of humor concerning gross bathroom
jokes. In one scene, Malcolm is trapped in the bathroom
with the real Big Momma - who, shall we say, has eaten
too many prunes. Here's a good rule of thumb: If you
found "Austin Powers 2" funny, you'll probably like
"Big Momma's House". I'm a big "Austin Powers" fan,
and I loved "Big Momma's House".
Rated PG-13 for crude humor, language, sexual references,
and some violence
Discuss
"Big Momma's House" or Vivian's Review
in Cyberkids Connection
