Running time: 98 minutes
Starring: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Paul Giamatti, Terrence Howard, Ella Mitchell
Rating 5 out of 10
The inexplicable rise of Martin Lawrence continues unabated with this amiable cross-dressing comedy-thriller, which sees the American comedian doing a Mrs Doubtfire and getting in touch with his feminine side.
FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) is used to going undercover to get the bad guys, often donning elaborate costumes to ensnare his prey. Following another successful bust, Turner and partner John (Paul Giamatti) are assigned to capture serial killer and bank robber Laster (Terrence Dashon Howard) who has recently escaped from jail.
Their primary target is Laster's ex_girlfriend Sherry (Nia Long), the woman on the inside for the bank robbery, and her son Trent (Jascha Washington), who have fled to Cartersville, Georgia to spend some quality time with Sherry's estranged grandmother Hallie Mae Pierce (Ella Mitchell), aka Big Momma.
Unfortunately, before the pair arrive, Big Momma is called away to tend to a seriously ill friend. Scared that the girl will keep on running if Big Momma isn't home, Turner dons his favourite body suit and latex mask to impersonate the feisty southern matriarch. The transformation is pretty convincing - certainly none of the locals seem to notice the changes - and the new and improved Big Momma becomes the talking point of the local community.
Once you ignore the fact that the latex-clad Turner is much taller and slimmer than the real Big Momma - in fact he looks and sounds nothing like the genuine article - Big Momma's House serves up a slender portion of laughs, with a smattering of sickly romance.
Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer's screenplay trades heavily in base humour - Turner hiding in the bathroom with Big Momma on the toilet; Sherry creeping into her grandmother's bed and being poked in the back by Momma's "flashlight". Big laughs are few and far between.
Hidden beneath the layers of Francine Jamison-Tanchuck's rather fine costume, Lawrence is more bearable than usual, forced to forego his smug, wise-cracking antics in favour of physical comedy and the odd smart one-liner. He's not remotely convincing as an elderly lady but if the residents of Cartersville are willing to accept Big Momma leaping about a basketball court and causing a commotion at self-defence classes, they why shouldn't we?
Giamatti is delightful in an underwritten supporting role, risking life and limb to maintain his partner's cover, while Long is just a little bit too squeaky clean as the protective mother and love interest. She radiates kindness and love throughout the whole film, like some angel descended from on high: no one is that perfect.
Raja Gosnell, who helmed last year's Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore, points the camera at Lawrence and lets the film direct itself, taking a back seat to his ebullient star. As such, Big Momma's House tends to be less a film and more a series of loosely interlinked sketches.
Kevin Murphy
FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) is used to going undercover to get the bad guys, often donning elaborate costumes to ensnare his prey. Following another successful bust, Turner and partner John (Paul Giamatti) are assigned to capture serial killer and bank robber Laster (Terrence Dashon Howard) who has recently escaped from jail.
Their primary target is Laster's ex_girlfriend Sherry (Nia Long), the woman on the inside for the bank robbery, and her son Trent (Jascha Washington), who have fled to Cartersville, Georgia to spend some quality time with Sherry's estranged grandmother Hallie Mae Pierce (Ella Mitchell), aka Big Momma.
Unfortunately, before the pair arrive, Big Momma is called away to tend to a seriously ill friend. Scared that the girl will keep on running if Big Momma isn't home, Turner dons his favourite body suit and latex mask to impersonate the feisty southern matriarch. The transformation is pretty convincing - certainly none of the locals seem to notice the changes - and the new and improved Big Momma becomes the talking point of the local community.
Once you ignore the fact that the latex-clad Turner is much taller and slimmer than the real Big Momma - in fact he looks and sounds nothing like the genuine article - Big Momma's House serves up a slender portion of laughs, with a smattering of sickly romance.
Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer's screenplay trades heavily in base humour - Turner hiding in the bathroom with Big Momma on the toilet; Sherry creeping into her grandmother's bed and being poked in the back by Momma's "flashlight". Big laughs are few and far between.
Hidden beneath the layers of Francine Jamison-Tanchuck's rather fine costume, Lawrence is more bearable than usual, forced to forego his smug, wise-cracking antics in favour of physical comedy and the odd smart one-liner. He's not remotely convincing as an elderly lady but if the residents of Cartersville are willing to accept Big Momma leaping about a basketball court and causing a commotion at self-defence classes, they why shouldn't we?
Giamatti is delightful in an underwritten supporting role, risking life and limb to maintain his partner's cover, while Long is just a little bit too squeaky clean as the protective mother and love interest. She radiates kindness and love throughout the whole film, like some angel descended from on high: no one is that perfect.
Raja Gosnell, who helmed last year's Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore, points the camera at Lawrence and lets the film direct itself, taking a back seat to his ebullient star. As such, Big Momma's House tends to be less a film and more a series of loosely interlinked sketches.
Kevin Murphy
