Review: Original "HOUSE PARTY" is Still Letting the Mutha Burn

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 3 of 2023 (No. 1892) by Leroy Douresseaux

House Party (1990)

Running time:  104 minutes (1 hour, 44 minutes)

MPAA – R

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Reginald Hudlin

PRODUCER:  Warrington Hudlin

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Peter Deming (D.o.P.)

EDITOR:  Earl Watson

COMPOSERS: Marcus Miller and Lenny White

COMEDY/MUSIC

Starring:  “Kid 'n Play”: Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin; Robin Harris, Martin Lawrence; “Full Force”: “Paul Anthony” George, Lucien “Bow-Legged Lou” George, Jr., and Brian “B-Fine” George; Tisha Campbell, A.J. Johnson; “Grove B. Chill: Gene “Groove” Allen and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell; Kelly Jo Minter, John Witherspoon, BeBe Drake, Clifton Powell, J. Jay Saunders, Barry Diamond, Michael Pniewski, and George Clinton

House Party is a 1990 comedy film from writer-director Reginald Hudlin.  The film stars the then popular hip duo, “Kid 'n Play,” and is based on Hudlin's 1983 student short film, which he made while attending Harvard University.  House Party focuses on music, romance, and the unpredictable at school night house party.

House Party also features supporting performances by three members of “Full Force,” a hip hop and R&B musical group known for singing, songwriting, and producing.  There are also two members of the hip hop duo, “Groove B. Chill,” and a cameo by noted funk musician, George Clinton.  The film also stars the late comedian Robin Harras (1953-90), who died nine days after the film's release.

House Party introduces aspiring rapper, Christopher Robinson, Jr. a.ka. “Kid” (Christopher “Kid” Reid).  He is looking forward to a house party thrown by one of his best friends, Peter Martin a.k.a “Play”(Christopher “Play” Martin).  However, while at high school, Kid has a lunchroom altercation with a bully, Stab (“Paul Anthony” George), and his two associates, Pee-Wee (Lucien “Bow-Legged Lou” George, Jr.) and Zilla (Brian “B-Fine” George).

Kid goes home and convinces his father, Christopher Robinson, Sr. a.k.a. “Pops” (Robin Harris), to let him attend the party, although it is on a school night.  After he receives a note from Kid's school about the lunchroom fight, Pops forbids Kid from attending the party as punishment.  Kid sneaks out and attends the party anyway, but his father isn't the only one he has to avoid.  Stab and the boys are ready to deliver a beat-down as soon as they find Kid.  Will Kid avoid his tormentors long enough to enjoy the party?  Which girl will Kid choose:  Sydney (Tisha Campbell) or Sharane (A.J. Johnson)?  Will Play stop annoying Bilal (Martin Lawrence), the DJ at his party?  And who will win the battle of rhymes – Kid or Play?

The National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress recently made House Party one of its 2022 selections to the  “National Film Registry.”  Films that make the registry are considered to be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

House Party certainly fits that description, perhaps on all levels.  House Party was the first African-American teen comedy to receive mainstream success, both theatrically and in home entertainment.  As a “hood movie” (a film set in an inner city, predominantly African-American neighborhood), it shares elements with other other hood films:  police harassment, school violence, “the projects,” single-parent homes, working class homes, poverty, etc.  However, House Party is straight comedy, and what other “hood movies” treat as high drama or as teary melodrama, House Party plays for humor.  For instance, the character Sharane is “from the projects,” but she lives in an apartment in a nicely appointed Section 8 complex with her quiet, extended family.  Also, the two white police officers that vex Kid and Stab, Pee-Wee and Zilla are mostly harmless, although the film does suggest that they do physically abuse some of the characters off-camera.

Despite the fact that the film was released almost 33 years ago and was likely filmed almost 34 years ago, House Party still seems fresh.  Perhaps, that is because the film is filled with authentic examples of the African-American pop culture of the time.  The fashions, hairstyles, dancing, music, and dialogue are more treasures (sans the edginess) from a time capsule than than they are remnants from a bygone era.

This recent viewing was the first time in about 30 years that I had watched the film in its entirety, and I discovered that I still love the cast today as much as I did then.  Some, like Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, and Darryl “Chill” Mitchell, have had long careers in television.  Others, like Kid 'n Play, left their heyday behind decades ago, which is a shame.  As “Kid 'n Play,” Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin were personable and had excellent chemistry together.  I think media companies never really tapped into their potential as media stars.  It is also a little sad to wonder what would have been with Robin Harris in regards to the House Party sequels.

At that time, however, the entire cast came together and worked like a well-oiled machine.  House Party's infectious and exuberant soundtrack provides the perfect backdrop to writer-director Reginald Hudlin's lighthearted, but energetic comic romp.  The plot is fairly routine, but the execution is what makes this film really work.  Maybe, what makes House Party “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” is that it was and still is a fresh look at Black teens who party hard and squabble often without anyone getting a cap popped in his or her ass.  House Party still seems unique, and I can attest that it is still a blast to watch.

8 of 10

A

★★★★ out of 4 stars

Thursday, January 12, 2023

NOTES:

2022 National Film Preservation Board:  1 win:  “National Film Registry”

The text is copyright © 2023 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

-----------------------------------

------------------------------------

Amazon wants me to inform you that the affiliate link below is a PAID AD, but I technically only get paid (eventually) if you click on the affiliate link below AND buy something(s).

Negromancer News Bits and Bites from November 1st to 10th, 2018 - Update #24

Support Leroy on Patreon:

MOVIES - From Variety:  Chris McKay, the director of "The LEGO Batman Movie," is attached to the live-action film version of classic animated TV franchise, "Jonny Quest."

----------
STAR TREK - From Deadline:  Michelle Yeoh is in talks to reprise her role in "Star Trek Discovery," Captain Emperor Georgiou, for another "Star Trek" spinoff for the streaming service, CBS All Access.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Al Pacino and Meadow Williams will headline "Axis Sally," based on the true story of a woman who becomes the unwitting voice of Nazi propaganda against American troops during WWII.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  David Simon's ("The Wire") planned miniseries adaptation of Philip Roth's novel, "The Plot Against America," lands at HBO.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  John Boyega ("Star Wars") and Letitia Wright ("Black Panther") to star in Mark Cahill's sci-fi film, "Hold Back the Stars," which is based on Katie Khan's novel.

----------
STREAMING - From Deadline:  Netflix adds to its animation slate with five new anime series, including one based on "Pacific Rim."

----------
TELEVISION - From IndieWire:  Cary Fukanaga and David Lowery are reportedly developing a TV series based on Joe Dante's 1985 film, "Explorers."

----------
ANIMATION - From ThePlaylist:  DreamWorks Animation has hired Chris Meledandri ("Despicable Me") to reboot its "Shrek" franchise.

----------
TELEVISION - From Variety:  Andrew Lincoln will appear in multiple "The Walking Dead" movies for AMC.  Lincoln, who plays lead character, Rick Grimes, exited the long-running "The Walking Dead" TV series in the episode originally broadcast Nov. 4th, 2018.

----------
TELEVISION - From BleedingCool:  You can enjoy, "Me, Cheetah," the Tarzan drama from the BBC starring John Malkovich and Julian Sands.

----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool:  The film adaptation of the former HBO TV series, "Deadwood," has begun production.

----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo:  The winner of the 11/2 to 11/4/2018 weekend box office is "Bohemian Rhapsody" with an estimated take of $50 million.

----------
MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Director Fede Alvarez says the sequel to his hit film "Don't Breathe" will happen before the sequel to his (awful) hit film, the 2013 "Evil Dead" reboot.

----------
COMICS-FILM - From WeGotThisCovered:  For its worth, early test screenings of the "Hellboy" reboot, which is due in theaters April 12, 2019, are yielding poor responses.

----------
CELEBRITY - From Variety:  J.J. Abrams seeing a mega-deal with one film studio.

----------
TELEVISION - From Deadline:  Ana Navarro joins ABC's talk show, "The View" as a co-host.

----------
AVATAR - From TheWrap:  The titles for the four "Avatar" sequels have been leaked.

---------
MOVIES - From IndieWire:  Producers Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones are working on a remake of their 1985 film, "The Color Purple," which was adapted from Alice Walker's fan-fucking-tastic novel of the same name.

----------
SPORTS - From Variety:  Granity, Kobe Bryant's studio, announces a slate of sports-theme projects across multiple platforms.

----------
MOVIES - From Variety:  NBA Champion and MVP Stephen "Steph" Curry and Oscar-winner Viola Davis join the documentary "Emanuel," as executive producers.  The doc will chronicles the 2015 massacre of African-American church members by a white supremacist.  Julius Tennon is also an executive producer.

----------
AWARDS - From Newsarama:  The "22nd Hollywood Film Awards" has given the "Hollywood Film Award" to Marvel's blockbuster, "Black Panther," and the "Hollywood Animation Award" to "Incredibles 2."

----------
MOVIES - From EW:  Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are apparently saying that "Bad Boys 3" is officially a go.  The original "Bad Boys" debuted in 1995, with the sequel, "Bad Boys 2," hitting theaters in 2003.

----------
MOVIES - From Deadline:  Ridley Scott has begun developing "Gladiator 2."  This would be the sequel to Scott's 2000 film, "Gladiator," which won the "Best Picture" Oscar for the year 2000.

----------
MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment:  Legendary special visual effects and make-up artist, Rick Baker, talks about working on Michael Jackson's music video, "Thriller," on its 35th anniversary.  He also talks about his other career highlights.

----------
MOVIES - From TheGuardian:  A list of great movie projects never made, including a film adaptation of the "The Heart of Darkness," by Orson Welles.

Review: "Black Knight" is a Black Mark on Martin Lawrence's Career (Happy B'day, Tom Wilkinson)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux

Black Knight (2001)
Running time:  95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for language, sexual/crude humor and battle violence
DIRECTOR:  Gil Junger
WRITERS:  Darryl J. Quarles, Peter Gaulke, and Gerry Swallow
PRODUCERS:  Michael Green, Arnon Milchan, Darryl J. Quarles, and Paul Schiff
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Ueli Steiger (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Michael R. Miller
COMPOSER:  Randy Edelman

COMEDY

Starring:  Martin Lawrence, Marsha Thomason, Tom Wilkinson, Vincent Regan, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Countryman, Kevin Conway, and Jeannette Weggar

The subject of this movie review is Black Knight, a 2001 comedy starring Martin Lawrence and directed by Gil Junger.  At the time this film was produced, Junger had primarily directed episodes of television series such as Living Single and Ellen.  This movie is also loosely based on Mark Twain’s novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889).  In Black Knight, Lawrence plays an amusement park employee who awakens to find himself in 14th century England after an accident.

Black Knight is a really bad movie, and I mean “bad” in its pejorative sense.  There’s nothing cool or hip about it, and Martin Lawrence could lose much of his street credibility behind this garbage.  He goes out of his way to harangue, embarrass, and make fun of people (his comedian’s job, I guess), and then he makes a dog like this.  Who’s dumb, now?

Those moments in the movie that might illicit a chuckle are so few and far between that a viewer could be too tired to laugh by the time he found anything worth a guffaw.  The movie is a star vehicle, one of the those movies made especially as a showcase to further the career and star power of its lead actor, so it’s not supposed to be art – just a commercial property; many star vehicles are.  However, this thing is practically impossible to watch, and it could turn people off Lawrence for a long time, if not forever.  All it takes is a few bombs like this, and people are wary of paying the high cost of a movie ticket to see a movie star’s latest work.  Ask Eddie Murphy.

A fish out of water story, Lawrence plays Jamal Walker aka Skywalker, an employee at a medieval theme park, who through some kind of accident, ends up in 14th century England.  Bare with me.  A despot, King (of England, I guess) Leo (Kevin Conway) comes to believe that Jamal is a Moor (that would explain his dusky complexion) who is a messenger from Normandy sent to herald some kind of Norman delegation.  To complicate matters, Jamal falls for Victoria the Chambermaid (Marsha Thomason), a black woman (if they can pass off Jamal’s presence, they can pass off hers) who is leading a covert assassination attempt against King Leo.

Okay.  In time travel stories, especially ones in which African-Americans are in lands where they were unlikely to be in a particular era, require a huge, willing suspension of disbelief.  And we know that the extreme cultural differences between the denizens of 14th century England and Jamal would ostensibly allow Martin to be very funny – the hip black man versus the so unhip, bland, not streetwise white medieval folks.  The premise might have sounded very funny when the writers first discussed it, laughing while they sat around smoking pot, drinking expensive liquor, or nursing a pile of coke on the living room table.  But tragedy struck when the premise became an awful script and Martin, probably awash in personal and mental problems, just couldn’t get his funny up.

Better luck next time.

1 of 10
D-

NOTES:
2002 Black Reel Awards:  1 nomination: “Theatrical - Best Screenplay-Original or Adapted (Darryl J. Quarles and Peter Gaulke)

Updated:  Thursday, December 12, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

"Open Season" is a Good Buddy Comedy

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 49 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux


Open Season (2006)
Running time: 96 minutes (1 hour, 36 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some rude humor, mild action, and brief language
DIRECTORS: Roger Allers and Jill Culton with Anthony Stacchi
WRITERS: Steve Bencich & Ron J. Friedman and Nat Maudlin; from a screen story by Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi; from an original story by Steve Moore and John Carls
PRODUCER: Michelle Murdocca
EDITORS: Ken Solomon and Pam Ziegenhagen

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and ACTION/ADVENTURE

Starring: (voices) Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise, Debra Messing, Billy Connolly, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton, Gordon Tootoosis, Jane Krakowski, Georgia Engel, and Cody Cameron

Open Season is Sony Pictures Animation’s first computer-animated (or 3D animation) feature film. This fish-out-water, reluctant buddy movie is a likeable story, but the animation is truly the star here.

Boog (Martin Lawrence), a domesticated grizzly bear, lives the good life in the tranquil town of Timberline with his kindhearted surrogate mother, Beth (Debra Messing), who rescued Boog when he was a cub. One day, Boog rescues Eliot (Ashton Kutcher), a mule deer with one antler missing, from the clutches of Shaw (Gary Sinise), the local law breaking, fanatical hunter. Eliot follows Boog home to his cushy digs where he lives with Beth, but this reluctant new friendship lands Boog in a lot of trouble. Before he knows it, Boog is left out in the wild, completely unprepared to live in the real world. Suddenly Boog and Eliot are forced into a partnership, and they have to survive the start of open season or they and all the forest animals may end up mounted on some hunter’s wall.

With 2006 being a busy year for 3D animated films, Open Season stands out for two reasons. First, the voice performances are very good, in particular Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, and Gary Sinise. Lawrence mixes gruff charm, a slight ego, and a genial self-effacing attitude that makes Boog come across as a sort of everyman who is simply looking to enjoy his comfy life without making too many waves. Kutcher’s Eliot is the classic manic funnyman who is always in trouble and manages to drag an unsuspecting stranger down with him. Sinise’s Shaw is a great comic villain, and he gives a fine performance by making his recognizable voice unrecognizable.

The animation is very good, and immediately had my attention. The character motion is fluid, and the movement of objects within the sets (car chases, floods, battle scenes, etc.) is spectacular. Sony Pictures Animation manages to duplicate the “squash and stretch” effect (think classic Looney Tunes and MGM cartoon shorts) of DreamWorks’ Madagascar with the kind of lush colors Pixar delivers in films like Finding Nemo and Cars. The characters are rubbery and flexible, and that adds to the comedy, especially in big action scenes (like the “dam break” and the battle between the forest animals and hunters). Open Season’s color palette perfectly recreates a lush autumn forest and the comforting earth tones of the great outdoors.

Open Season makes the buddy action comedy seem new by setting it as a delightful animal fable with lots of sassy banter and gentle innuendo. The animation captures the eye because it imitates the best of earlier 3D cartoon features, but also manages to be its own new thing. The characters are endearing, and Boog and Eliot make an excellent animation comedy pair, but this beautiful animation with its idiosyncratic visual style is something to remember.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Review: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 77 (of 2011) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011)
Running time: 107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sexual humor and brief violence
DIRECTOR: John Whitesell
WRITERS: Matthew Fogel, Don Rhymer, and Matthew Fogel (based upon characters created by Darryl Quarles)
PRODUCERS: David T. Friendly and Michael Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony B. Richmond
EDITOR: Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
COMPOSER: David Newman

COMEDY/CRIME

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Brandon T. Jackson, Jessica Lucas, Michelle Ang, Portia Doubleday, Emily Rios, Ana Ortiz, Henri Lubatti, Lorenzo Pisoni, Tony Curran, Marc John Jeffries, Brandon Gill, Ken Jeong, Max Casella, Sheri Shepherd, and Faizon Love

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son is a 2011 crime comedy and the third film in the Big Momma’s House franchise. Martin Lawrence returns as the FBI agent who occasionally dons a fat suit to become the no-nonsense granny, Big Momma.

FBI Agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) is a busy man. He is trying to get his stepson Trent Turner (Brandon T. Jackson) into Duke University, but Trent only wants to pursue his hip-hop dreams as the rapper, Prodi-G. Meanwhile, Malcolm is trying to get information on Russian gangster, Chirkoff (Tony Curran), so he is getting help from an informant, Anthony “Tony” Canetti (Max Casella), who has a hidden flash drive full of information on Chirkoff.

After Trent witnesses Chirkoff kill Canetti, Malcolm knows that he and his stepson have to go into hiding. Malcolm and Trent head for the place where Canetti apparently hid the flash drive, the Georgia Girls School for Arts. Malcolm disguises himself as his alter-ego, Hattie Mae Pierce AKA Big Momma, while Trent dons his own fat suit and becomes Charmaine Daisy Pierce, Big Momma’s great niece. Even in disguise, fitting in at the school is difficult. Trent/Charmaine falls for an insecure singer songwriter named Haley Robinson (Jessica Lucas). The school’s lovable, overweight janitor, Kurtis Kool (Faizon Love), is smitten with Big Momma, but, as Canetti’s friend, Kurtis may know something about the whereabouts of the flash drive.

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son is a little better than Big Momma’s House 2 and funnier, but, of course, that’s not saying much, as the second film was stubbornly mediocre. It has some funny moments, but overall, this seems like just a second-rate kids’ comedy. For the most part, Lawrence and Jackson manage to create a credible father-son relationship between Malcolm and Trent. I bought their act as obstinate dad and disagreeable teenager; both actors manage to brew some screen chemistry in spite of the rotten script and poor character writing.

The best thing about this film is the always entertaining Faizon Love. He plays Kurtis Kool like a character that is free of a bad script and average directing and thus can make us laugh anyway. If the people involved in this franchise cannot do better than what they have done since the original film, they should let Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son be the last appearance of Big Momma.

4 of 10
C

Sunday, September 04, 2011

--------------

"Big Momma's House 2" a Plain House

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 125 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Momma’s House 2 (2006)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for some sexual humor and a humorous drug reference
DIRECTOR: John Whitesell
WRITER: Don Rhymer (based upon the characters created by Darryl Quarles)
PRODUCERS: David T. Friendly and Michael Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Mark Irwin
EDITOR: Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
Razzie Award nominee

COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Emily Procter, Zachary Levi, Mark Moses, Kat Dennings, Chloe Grace Moretz, Marisol Nichols, Jascha Washington, Josh Flitter, and Preston Shores and Trevor Shores

Eddie Murphy began his career as a standup comic and shot to fame as a cast member of NBC’s venerable sketch comedy variety series, “Saturday Night Live,” in the early 1980’s. By 1982, he had a hit movie, and by the late 1984 release of the film, Beverly Hills Cop, he was a certified movie star. Although he hit a dry patch at the turn of the decade in 1990, he redefined himself by appearing in family friendly live action films like The Nutty Professor and Dr. Doolittle franchises (both remakes of older films) and doing voiceover work in hit animated films such as Walt Disney’s Mulan and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek franchise.

Martin Lawrence also began his career as an edgy “urban contemporary” or black comedian. The late 1980’s and early 1990’s found him in supporting roles and ensemble parts in several films. He had a hit show on the FOX Network, “Martin,” beginning in 1992. At the turn of the century, he had two big hit movies, one of them, 2000’s Big Momma’s House, was a surprise blockbuster hit. Then, the walls came tumbling down with a series of stumbles that began in 2001 with What’s the Worst That Could Happen? and Black Knight and continued with 2003’s National Security, before Bad Boys II righted Lawrence’s ship later that same year.

Martin has also recently remade himself from a formerly edgy comedian to one who now makes family friendly films. The first one, Rebound in 2005, was a misfire, but earlier this year, Martin once again donned the drag getup of an obese black matron in the (relatively speaking) surprise box office hit, Big Momma’s House 2. We find our intrepid hero, Malcolm Turner (Lawrence), married to Sherri (Nia Long), the target of his undercover investigation in the first film. Not only is he a stepfather to Sherri’s son, Trent (Jascha Washington), but he and Nia are expecting a baby in just a few weeks.

Wanting to spend more time with his family and stay out of danger for them, Malcolm took a desk job that sometimes finds him doing PR for the FBI (like dressing in a giant chicken costume and teaching children safety). However, an FBI agent and friend is murdered while investigating Tom Fuller (Mark Moses), a computer programmer who is creating a “worm,” that will allow foreign agents and outside enemies computer access into the most sensitive areas of government security information. Malcolm wants in on the investigation, but his superiors hold him to his request for desk duty.

But the story can’t stop there, especially when opportunity gives Malcolm a way back onto the job. The Fullers need a nanny, and Malcolm retrieves his fat suit, prosthetic face, and granny dresses from the closet. Before long, Hattie Mae Pierce aka “Big Momma” is back on the job and has wiled her way into Tom’s wife, Leah’s (Emily Procter), heart and becomes the Fuller’s nanny. Big Momma immediately starts searching the house for information on Tom’s activities, but before long Big Momma finds herself attached to the three Fuller children: teen goth girl with an attitude, Molly (Kat Dennings); unconfident cheerleader, Carrie (Chloe Grace Moretz), and three-year old Andrew (played by twins Preston and Trevor Shores), who hasn’t yet spoken a word, jumps from heights, and eats Brillo® pads and sand. Now, Malcolm as Big Momma is determined to help the Fuller kids through their difficulties and make their career-oriented parents spend more time with them. But will that comprise Malcolm’ mission and keep him from discovering the whereabouts of the worm Tom is creating and discovering the identity of the enemy agents trying to buy it?

I neither liked nor hated Big Momma’s House 2. It’s occasionally, mildly funny, although the last 20 minutes are actually the first time the film comes out of its stupor for something resembling a rousing ending. The first film really showcased Martin Lawrence’s talent for getting in costumes to create a variety of eccentric and wildly comic characters (of which we saw a lot in his series “Martin”). The sequel comes across as a cheap copy that mostly spins its and Martin’s wheels. The Big Momma act seems tired and desperate, even more so under the weight of the dull comedy written by Don Rhymer, the co-writer of the first film. There are times when Martin actually seems emotionally drained by returning to this role. It’s a look in his eyes.

Big Momma’s House 2 is a domestic comedy set in the home of an upper middle class family. The FBI half of the pic, which stretches the limits of suspension of disbelief and is full of holes, is just filler material for the family-based comedy and for Martin Lawrence’s new act – that of a family friendly black comedian. Big Momma is the beloved black matron teaching the nice white family how to come together and just love one another. Big Momma’s philosophy of “jus’ put it in the Lawd’s hand”-southern black Christianity and homespun wisdom are the essence of the quintessential black matron or mammy – a Hollywood and, let’s face it, American social fantasy.

That said, Lawrence gives Big Momma’s relations with the child characters more traction than this lame film deserves. There are times when she’s helping the family or rescuing one of the members when it looks like at least an ember of the old Big Momma fire is still there. Big Momma’s House 2 is a family flick, in spite of the sexual innuendo and assorted crudeness. So don’t see it expecting the madcap romp we got the first time. See it for what it is – a kids' movie with loads of potty humor.

4 of 10
C

Tuesday, June 6, 2006

NOTES:
2007 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Prequel or Sequel”

---------------

Original "Big Momma's House" is a Fun House

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 35 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Big Momma’s House (2000)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude humor including sexual innuendo, and for language and some violence
DIRECTOR: Raja Gosnell
WRITERS: Darryl Quarles and Don Rhymer; from a story by Darryl Quarles
PRODUCERS: David T. Friendly and Michael Green
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Michael D. O’Shea
EDITORS: Kent Beyda and Bruce Green
Image Awards nominee

COMEDY

Starring: Martin Lawrence, Nia Long, Paul Giamatti, Jascha Washington, Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson, Ella Mitchell, Cedric the Entertainer, and Tichina Arnold

FBI Agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) is a master of disguise, but to catch an escaped convict, he’ll have to pull off his greatest masquerade. Murderer and bank robber Lester Vesco (Terrence Dashon Howard) has escaped from prison. Vesco is looking for his old girlfriend, Sherry Pierce (Nia Long), long suspected by the police to be Vesco’s accomplice because she worked at the bank he robbed, and also suspected of knowing where the money from the robbery, which was never recovered, is. Panicked by news of Lester’s escape, Sherry takes her young son, Trent Pierce (Jascha Washington), and heads to the home of Big Momma, Sherry’s massively fat grandmother, Hattie Mae Pierce (Ella Mitchell), in Cartersville, Georgia.

Malcolm and his partner, John (Paul Giamatti), also head to Georgia and put Big Momma’s house under surveillance in hopes of discovering whereabouts of both Lester Vesco and the Sherry is allegedly hiding the money. When an emergency suddenly calls Big Momma away from her house for a week or so, Malcolm and John are afraid that Sherry will change her plans to stay at Big Momma’s house. Malcolm, using his and John’s fantastic abilities at creating prosthetics and masks, disguises himself as Big Momma. He, however, doesn’t count on falling in love with Sherry while pretending to me Big Momma. Will the romance and the effort it takes to maintain the disguise cause Malcolm to miss the arrival of Vesco and the return of the real Big Momma.

There’s something appealing about a man playing a woman. It’s especially interesting if the man is playing a woman for comedy, but there is something really attention-grabbing when a black man plays a fat black woman, which is what actor/comedian Martin Lawrence does in Big Momma’s House. Just seeing Martin in that get-up as a morbidly obese, black Southern matron elicits raucous laughter, so one sees Big Momma’s House strictly for the comedy. Martin is damn funny in drag, although he can disguise himself quite well to play a variety of comical male roles, as he does here, early in the film playing an older Asian hood.

Big Momma’s House if filled with sidesplitting comedy and a generous helping of belly laughs. The film falls apart when it tries the romantic comedy angle between Malcolm Turner (without his Big Momma getup) and Sherry Pierce; it’s dry and rings hollow. The actual police procedural (or what tries to be) doesn’t amount to much, so Paul Giamatti’s John is wasted. It’s hard to tell if Lawrence and Giamatti have any real screen chemistry, but something’s definitely there when they’re on screen together.

With its generous helping of laugh-out-loud comedy and a generous side of flatulence and juvenile humor for the kids, Big Momma’s House is simply a comedy that works. Add Martin Lawrence’s Big Momma to the list of great comic performances by actors in drag.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2001 Image Awards: 1 nomination: “Outstand Actress in a Motion Picture (Nia Long)

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

-------------

Meet the Barnes in "Death at a Funeral"

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 66 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Death at a Funeral (2010)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R for language, drug content and some sexual humor
DIRECTOR: Neil LaBute
WRITER: Dean Craig
PRODUCERS: William Horberg, Sidney Kimmel, Laurence Malkin, Chris Rock, and Share Stallings
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Rogier Stoffers
EDITOR: Tracey Wadmore-Smith
COMPOSER: Christophe Beck

COMEDY

Starring: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Keith David, Loretta Devine, Peter Dinklage, Ron Glass, Danny Glover, Regina Hall, Kevin Hart, James Marsden, Tracy Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Columbus Short, and Luke Wilson

The recent Chris Rock-Martin Lawrence film, Death at a Funeral, is a remake of a 2007 British film of the same name. This black comedy (or dark comedy) observes a family as its members come together to mourn a beloved husband and father, even as shocking revelations and festering resentments arise.

The elder son, Aaron Barnes (Chris Rock), is managing the funeral of his recently deceased father. Aaron is also preparing to move on with his life, which includes moving him and his wife, Michelle (Regina King), out of his parents’ house, especially because his mother, Cynthia Barnes (Loretta Devine), keeps reminding them that they haven’t given her any grandchildren. Aaron is hoping that his younger brother, Ryan (Martin Lawrence), a successful author, will help him cover the funeral expenses, but the late-arriving Ryan claims temporary financial hardship.

Meanwhile, relatives are arriving, bringing their baggage and family feuds with them. Oh, and a stranger named Frank (Peter Dinklage), who claims to have been a close friend of the deceased, has come bearing secrets.

So much of Death at a Funeral is in very bad taste, but that is also why the film is so funny. With its missing and abused corpses, fecal humor, nudity, and unabashed raunchiness, Death at a Funeral is only a stylized and slightly-exaggerated depiction of how problematical family get-togethers, even funerals, can be. Director Neil LaBute also does a mostly good job keeping things hopping by unveiling one outrage after another, so that the audience can never really catch its breath before the next indignity comes along.

The main problem with this movie is that I don’t think the headliners for this film, Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence, are really suited for large ensembles. They’ve certainly been part of smaller, star-driven ensembles (Lawrence in Wild Hogs and Rock in the recent Grown Ups), but both are at their best when the entire movie is built around them. Here, they have to share too much screen time.

My quibble isn’t the fault of the writing because screenwriter Dean Craig (who wrote the original film) has done a superb job creating so many engaging, three-dimensional characters. It is simply that they all deserve more screen time than they get. Most of them are such fun that their short time on screen comes across as a shortcoming on the part of the entire movie. Still, this movie is funny, and maybe also useful to the viewers. The next time you need an antidote to a painful family social event, Death at a Funeral is a reminder that there is laughter even in the most trouble-filled family gatherings.

6 of 10
B

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Review: "Wild Hogs" is Funny and Charming

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 53 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Wild Hogs (2007)
Running time: 99 minutes (1 hour, 39 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for crude and sexual content, and some violence
DIRECTOR: Walt Becker
WRITER: Brad Copeland
PRODUCERS: Brian Robbins & Michael Tollin and Todd Lieberman
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robbie Greenberg (director of photography)
EDITOR: Christopher Greenbury and Stuart Pappé

COMEDY/ADVENTURE

Starring: Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, William H. Macy, Ray Liotta, Marisa Tomei, Kevin Durand, M.C. Gainey, Jill Hennessy, Dominic Janes, Tichina Arnold, Stephen Tobolowsky, Jason Sklar and Randy Sklar

In the comedy, Wild Hogs, four middle-aged friends decide to take a cross-country road trip on their motorcycles. It’s the buddy comedy times four, and although it might be mediocre compared to an Oscar wannabe, Wild Hogs delivers laughs every time just like reliable fast food and a cold Coke.

Doug Madsen (Tim Allen), Woody Stevens (John Travolta), Bobby Davis (Martin Lawrence), and Dudley Frank (William H. Macy) are the “Wild Hogs,” weekend motorcycle enthusiasts who enjoy riding their bikes to a local biker bar where they drink beers. This mismatched foursome is beset by stressful jobs and family obligations, so Woody talks them into hitting the open road for adventure. The trip starts off rough, but in spite of some misadventures, they’re having fun.

However, these biker wannabes get more than they bargained for when they encounter the real-life biker gang the Del Fuegos. Their leader, Jack (Ray Liotta), doesn’t like the Wild Hogs, viewing them as posers. The Wild Hogs-Del Fuegos feud escalates into a showdown in the small desert town of Madrid, where the shy Dudley has finally found a girlfriend in Maggie (Marisa Tomei), owner of the local bar and grill.

What’s the point of a long review when talking about a movie like Wild Hogs? This isn’t film art. Still, I liked it… a lot, and it was funny. I’m a big fan of Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence’s movies, and when they have halfway decent material and if they’re on, they’re funny, which they were here. Allen is off his game here and still funny, but Lawrence is more on his game and makes sure Bobby Davis doesn’t come across as a mere token. William H. Macy, the best actor of the quartet, really sells his lovable nerd character, making him blissfully naïve and as thick as a brick wall, but giving him surprising moments of spontaneity and edge. John Travolta is pudgy and slow, but he fits in with the rest in an odd sort of way.

The women in this movie seem dehydrated and tired, except for Tichina Arnold who can turn on the black woman sass in an instant. Ray Liotta is intense as all get out, so much so one would think he thought this was a crime thriller and not PG-13, Hollywood mass audience product. Still, his edgy, hard-ass, bad guy act provides a nice balance to the star quartet’s goofiness.

No, Wild Hogs isn’t great, but a generous helping of coarse humor, sexual innuendo, a couple scenes of bare white ass, poop jokes, physical comedy, stereotypes, and plenty of visual gags make this movie funny on demand. I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.

7 of 10
B+

Sunday, March 25, 2007