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Big Momma's House 2 By David DiCerto Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- Martin Lawrence serves up a stale second helping of sass in the only fitfully funny "Big Momma's House 2" (20th Century Fox). The sequel -- think "The Pacifier" meets "Mrs. Doubtfire" -- finds Lawrence's master-of-disguise FBI agent, Malcolm Turner, once again donning wig, support hose and quite a bit of foam latex as the plus-size Southern granny, affectionately known as Big Momma. Retired from the field, Malcolm now serves the FBI by giving public safety demonstrations to schoolchildren while anxiously awaiting a child with wife Sherrie (Nia Long). But when his ex-partner and mentor is killed, Malcolm, unbeknownst to Sherrie or his superiors, goes undercover to investigate the murder, posing as a nanny to the three children of a software designer (Mark Moses) suspected of compromising national security. In between solving the case and household chores, Big Momma also manages to bring the family closer together and fix some of their dysfunctional dilemmas, including imparting dating advice to rebellious teenage daughter Molly (Kat Dennings); choreographing a cheerleading routine for kid sister Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz); getting self-destructive toddler Andrew to utter his first words ("Big Momma," of course!); and perking up the family's lovelorn Chihuahua from its doggy doldrums. During a heart-to-heart with Molly, Big Momma, explaining how the dynamics between boys and girls were no different in her day, quips, "The play has changed but the game remains the same." Ditto for this movie. As directed by John Whitesell, this "House" is built on the same shaky slapstick foundation as the 2000 original, with the perfunctory plot an afterthought to Lawrence's Flip Wilson-inspired shtick. And while Lawrence is affable as ever, most of the movie's comic antics are, as Big Momma would say, "stuck on stupid." There are quite a few risque jokes for a PG-13 film, including a bawdy sequence in a posh spa and an eyebrow-arching scene in which Carrie and her prepubescent cheerleading squad perform some age-inappropriate Britney Spears booty-shaking. (These questionable elements are hardly redeemed by the film's tacked-on family values message.) A closing line suggests we haven't seen the last of Malcolm's matron, "You never know when Big Momma might be back." One can only hope not soon. The film contains comic violence, some gun waving and an implied shooting, some crude and sexual humor and innuendo, a brief drug reference, age-inappropriate suggestive dance moves involving young children and scattered crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. - - - DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. END Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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