Big Momma's House 2
2006 is going to have a difficult misunderstanding to overcome in the year's box office analysis. We're probably going to hear that studios didn't learn their lesson (and they probably didn't, let's be honest) and movies like these are why people "stayed home" during 2005's dropoff, and why are they still coming out with garbage like this, and so on and so forth. But we're not going to see the real lessons that were learned from 2005 until next year, or maybe even the year after that. Because movies like this were greenlighted long before there was ever a talk about a slump.
In the sequel to the inexplicable hit from 2000, Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) has started to settle down with his bride Sherry (Nia Long), and has made a decision for her, her son, and the baby on the way to stop playing detective. But, because this is a sequel, any stupid-ass reason to go put on the big momma makeup and play detective again, against the FBI's wishes, lying to the pregnant wife, is a good one. This time, as the affluent Fuller family's nanny, Malcolm tries to uncover a software program and a computer hacking plot, while maintaining the illusion of being helpful around the house.
A mess? You could call it that. Just about every rule of storytelling and joke delivery is botched in this. Surprisingly, I still found it better than the original--but that's like saying a fart smells better than a pile of crap.
It's amazing the powers of a bad movie. There were people at work declaring this "worse than BloodRayne" as they discussed it afterwards. Oh, how easily we forget. But let's not give this movie very much credit. Fans of Martin Lawrence should be sad that a guy I think has some comic talent gets movies like this and Rebound...and Bad Boys. He never gets to "let loose" and make a raucous comedy. He's relegated to movies with boundaries.
Perhaps...are black comic actors pigeon-holed into these flicks? Eddie Murphy, who once ruled the box office, has not had a real comedy hit since 1996's Nutty Professor, itself a comeback after many years of futility. I've never seen a Chris Rock picture with any of his style, nor Dave Chappelle, nor Eddie Griffin (OK, Undercover Brother was all right I guess). Hell--all of the "kings of comedy"--Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey, and DL Hughley haven't been in anything worthwhile. Cedric had a good turn in Barbershop, and then was censored in the sequel, and has been in a lot of crap since.
Comedies in general have been bad--but certainly if there's a market for unrestrained comedy (like Wedding Crashers and 40-Year-Old Virgin) then one of these guys can tap into it. And I don't believe it's their fault that they keep getting handed the crap, either. This is what a studio believes these guys can help sell--microwaved scripts that don't cost anything to produce. If I had the time, I'd get into the racism of film production. These are talented people and they are in the Negro Leagues of movie stardom.
In the sequel to the inexplicable hit from 2000, Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) has started to settle down with his bride Sherry (Nia Long), and has made a decision for her, her son, and the baby on the way to stop playing detective. But, because this is a sequel, any stupid-ass reason to go put on the big momma makeup and play detective again, against the FBI's wishes, lying to the pregnant wife, is a good one. This time, as the affluent Fuller family's nanny, Malcolm tries to uncover a software program and a computer hacking plot, while maintaining the illusion of being helpful around the house.
A mess? You could call it that. Just about every rule of storytelling and joke delivery is botched in this. Surprisingly, I still found it better than the original--but that's like saying a fart smells better than a pile of crap.
It's amazing the powers of a bad movie. There were people at work declaring this "worse than BloodRayne" as they discussed it afterwards. Oh, how easily we forget. But let's not give this movie very much credit. Fans of Martin Lawrence should be sad that a guy I think has some comic talent gets movies like this and Rebound...and Bad Boys. He never gets to "let loose" and make a raucous comedy. He's relegated to movies with boundaries.
Perhaps...are black comic actors pigeon-holed into these flicks? Eddie Murphy, who once ruled the box office, has not had a real comedy hit since 1996's Nutty Professor, itself a comeback after many years of futility. I've never seen a Chris Rock picture with any of his style, nor Dave Chappelle, nor Eddie Griffin (OK, Undercover Brother was all right I guess). Hell--all of the "kings of comedy"--Cedric the Entertainer, Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey, and DL Hughley haven't been in anything worthwhile. Cedric had a good turn in Barbershop, and then was censored in the sequel, and has been in a lot of crap since.
Comedies in general have been bad--but certainly if there's a market for unrestrained comedy (like Wedding Crashers and 40-Year-Old Virgin) then one of these guys can tap into it. And I don't believe it's their fault that they keep getting handed the crap, either. This is what a studio believes these guys can help sell--microwaved scripts that don't cost anything to produce. If I had the time, I'd get into the racism of film production. These are talented people and they are in the Negro Leagues of movie stardom.
posted by Chris @ 1/26/2006 02:40:00 AM
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