Review of Big Momma`s House

Introduction

Martin Lawrence seems to have made a career move into "buddy cop" movies recently. Starting with 1995`s excellent Bad Boys, and following that with Blue Streak, Big Momma`s House and the forthcoming Blue Streak 2. There have also been rumours of a Bad Boys 2.

Big Momma`s House is slightly different to those other films, and those of you expecting the Lawrence of Bad Boys will be sorely disappointed (the film is rated 12 after all!) Big Momma`s House is Mrs Doubtfire meets The Nutty Professor meets Stakeout, which sounds like an interesting idea on paper.

With the film being a mixture of those mentioned above, you can probably work out the plot. Whilst staking out a house an FBI agent has to go undercover as a rather large old lady, in order to try and trap an escaped convict. And that`s all there is to it really. If you`ve seen any of the films above, you can pretty much work out what`s going to happen.

Video

We are presented with a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer, which looks excellent. There are a few flecks of dust on the print, but the picture quality is very high, with lots of detail and excellent colours.

No special effects to speak of, but there are obivously the make up effects used to transform Lawrence into a large old lady. These look reasonably convincing, and you can find out more about them in the extra features.

Audio

A DD5.1 soundtrack which is functional but not much more. There`s not a lot of on-screen action to warrant use of all your speakers, so most of the sound comes from the front, with dialogue clear and audible at all times.

The only time that the soundtrack really comes to life is when some of the songs arrive. There`s plenty of bass on show when "I`ve got to have it" by Jermaine Dupri featuring NAS and Monica plays. This song samples Peter Gabriel`s excellent "Sledgehammer" to good effect. For our younger readers, Peter Gabriel was one of the founding members of Genesis and then went on to have a very good solo career. The video for "Sledgehammer" was a multi-award winner, and one of the best videos ever made.

Features

Lots of extras on show here. The biggest of them all is an audio commentary featuring the director and the producer. This goes into great detail about the making of the film, how different scenes were shot, and some of the pitfalls of working with a man in a big "fat suit". It`s not the most exciting commentary in the world, but there`s plenty of information on offer.

There`s a making-of documentary called "Building Big Momma`s House", which gives plenty of background to the film. There are interviews, lots of shots of the make-up effects and more besides.

Two deleted scenes are included, which can be viewed with or without commentary. There`s also a 2 minute "make-up test" which features footage of Lawrence trying out the "fat suit" for the first time. You`ll also find a trailer, three TV spots and six minutes of very amusing out-takes. Unfortunately, with this release being a 12, the out-takes are all "bleeped".

There are also two music videos - "Bounce with me" by Lil` Bow Wow (honestly!) and the aforementioned "I`ve got to have it".

Conclusion

Big Momma`s House is a big disappointment. I think the 12 rating really means that only 12 year olds should watch it, as they`re the only ones likely to find it funny. Cheap toilet humour and jokes about fat people are hardly ground-breaking comedy, and Lawrence is capable of so much more.

The DVD itself is very good, with an excellent picture, good sound and plenty of extras. If you`ve managed to watch the film all the way through, at least watch the out-takes, as you`ll probably find more laughs there.

If you are a young teenager, or you are the parent of one, then this film might just appeal. However, I can`t recommend it to anyone else, not even fans of Martin Lawrence.