Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Of course, given the attempts at humor on display in Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, it probably couldn't hurt if the audience watching it shared the IQ of the characters up on the screen. There's not a single laugh to be had. Believe me, I counted. But, that's not surprising when the film's sole joke was explored to the fullest a little over ten years ago in 2000's Big Momma's House. That was the movie where Lawrence went undercover as a 300 pound Southern granny in order to crack a crime. Somehow, this idea struck a chord with enough people to see the movie gross over $100 million, which led to 2006's Big Momma's House 2. It was less successful at the box office, but here we are with the third film. Not only does the Big Momma disguise that Lawrence dons look a little more worn out than usual, but Lawrence himself seems confused as to what he's doing back in the role. It's an encore performance that no one, not even the star, asked for.
Lawrence is back as Malcolm, although his love interest (played in the previous films by Nia Long) is nowhere to be seen. I guess they couldn't offer her enough money to come back, so they explain in dialogue that she's away at a retreat. This leaves Malcolm to deal with family problems on his own, such as stepson Trey wanting to ditch a college education at Duke University so that he can become a rap artist. Trey is underage, and needs his dad's signature in order to sign a contract with a music producer. In what is probably not the brightest of ideas, Trey decides to follow Malcolm on a bust of some Russian gangsters, hoping he can corner him and convince him to sign the contract. (I told you these characters were dumb.) This leads to Trey witnessing a murder, and having the gangsters gunning after him. Malcolm decides that the best way for his stepson and him to remain inconspicuous is to dress in drag, a fat suit, and clothes that look like they were stolen from a circus clown's wardrobe.
They head for the Georgia All-Girls School for the Performing Arts, where incriminating evidence against the mobsters has been hidden, and most conveniently of all, a position for housemother has just opened up. No need for credentials or background checks, apparently. "Big Momma", with Trey posing as her granddaughter, show up and immediately get wrapped up in campus life, and the various emotional problems (boys, the stress to be popular and "perfect") that the girls at the school face. The movie can't think of a single funny thing to do with its premise. Every scene ends with a tired physical gag (Big Momma poses in the nude for an art class!), or sometimes no laugh at all, just an awkward transition to the next scene. I guess we're supposed to get caught up in the subplot of how Trey falls for one of the girls at the school (Jessica Lucas), and is forced to keep his secret. All I could think about was how does the girl not realize that Trey and his female disguise are one and the same person, since she spends ample personal time with both of his identities?
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1 Comments:
My roommate donates plasma regularly and said this last round was one of the single most terrible moments of his life. Why? Because "Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son" was coming out, they showed "Big Momma's House" as he donated. A solid hour not being able to move with "Big Momma's House" and nothing else. He said he considered asking them to pull out the IV and having them keep the money. I've never seen any of this movie series, but I can only imagine that if someone getting paid $40 just to sit and bare having the first movie in the series playing that watching the 3rd in the series must really have been painful. Sometimes Mr. Cullen I don't know how you do it!
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