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140 reviews in total

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18 out of 23 people found the following review useful:
Not excellent, but often funny, 31 July 2001

Author: mattymatt4ever from Jersey City, NJ

Martin Lawrence is often trusty in the world of comedy. Maybe I'm just overcoming his awful "Blue Streak," but I felt this comedy--though saggy at times--was quite funny. The premise is undoubtedly implausible. How's a whole neighborhood going to believe that this undercover cop with a latex body that looks somewhat like Big Momma is actually Big Momma? There's a lot of disbelief to suspend. But the gags often worked and I can say I laughed about 75 percent of the time. Some are predictable, like when Big Momma takes a karate class and starts beating the teacher--played by Anthony Anderson--to a pulp, but they still work due to the way they're handled. And Lawrence turns in yet another fine comic performance, with a script that could've used a rewrite but was nowhere near as bad as the crackerjack script he had to work with in "Blue Streak." The talented comic helps keep the movie togehter, with a little assistance from the supporting cast. Paul Giamatti, who was great as Pig Vomit in the acclaimed "Private Parts," is funny as Lawrence's partner. We also have "Me Myself and Irene's" Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer.

The plot is chaotic, sometimes predictable, and becomes more and more implausible by the minute but the comedy works and because of that we're able to excuse the script's shortcomings. "Big Momma" doesn't deliver the biggest laughs, but it's good, fun entertainment on a lonely weekday afternoon.

My score: 7 (out of 10)

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15 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Funnier Than I Thought It Might Be, 3 December 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from United States

This was a surprisingly good comedy, despite the predictability of it and the typically-sappy Hollywood ending. Nevertheless, this film has a bunch of laugh- out-loud scenes and jokes and Martin Lawrence is a likable guy. He has the ability to make us laugh just by making goofy faces. His best were when he was trapped in the bathroom behind the shower curtain when the real "Big Momma" (Ella Mitchell) was taking a dump a few feet away! The looks of Lawrence's face during that period were hilarious!

Lawrence eventually dresses as a big fat woman and provides laughs doing so. Ever since the early days of television and Milton Berle, people have laughed at men dressing up imitating women. Pretending to be a 300-pound woman makes it even funnier.

Throw in a pretty female lead (Nia Long) and a little drama to go along with the yuks and it winds up being a decent movie.

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15 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Not Nearly As Bad As I Feared, 7 December 2002

Author: gbheron from Washington, DC

Why did I rent this movie? I don't really appreciate Martin Lawrence, not his old TV show nor his stand-up routine. But I did rent it nonetheless, fearing that I'd wasted my $2.99 after returning home.

My fears were ungrounded. This movie is actually funny, hysterically so in a few scenes. Not to mislead the reader, I have to state that this movie is nothing great; it's actually just a trifle. Just suspend all belief as Lawrence portrays an FBI agent who dons a fat-suit in order to impersonate the 350-pound aunt of the lovely young suspect Lawrence and his partner are tailing. Of course, no one, not even the aunt's suitor, can tell the difference. If you can get by this absurd premise, "Big Momma's House" contains some really rib-tickling slapstick. When Lawrence, while impersonating Big Mama, is required to mid-wife a birth...that scene alone is worth the $2.99.

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11 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Script merely serves as a vehicle for Big Momma's not-so-hilarious antics and escapades, 5 July 2000

Author: Nina Criswick from London, England

Think of a Mrs. Doubtfire meets the Nutty Professor hybrid, with a smattering of Kindergarten Cop thrown in for good measure, and you've pretty much got Big Momma's House. Except the former three are all reasonable films, and, unfortunately, Big Momma's House just isn't.

When dangerous convict Howard Laster (Terrence Dashon) escapes from prison, undercover cop Malcolm (Martin Lawrence) is sent with fellow FBI agent John (Paul Giamatti) to track down Laster's ex-girlfriend Sherry (Nia Long), in the hope of luring the armed robber back in the direction of the slammer. This involves staking out the house of Sherry's Southern grandmother 'Big Momma', but when the latter leaves town Malcolm feels compelled to take on her guise, with the help of a few prosthetics and some extra padding. Things take a complicated turn, however, when Malcolm begins to fall for the beautiful, yet unknowing, Sherry.

The film bounds along like an enthusiastic dog, with the script acting as little more than a vehicle for Big Momma's 'hilarious' antics and various escapades. The action often degenerates into uninspired gross-out comedy and toilet humour as Big Momma stumbles from one rib-tickling predicament to the next, with Malcolm often only being saved by the former's reputation as a lovable and outlandish character. Big Momma attends a self-defence class. Big Momma has nasty moments on the toilet. Big Momma plays basketball. And Big Momma delivers a baby. Cue many moments of roll-in-the-aisles hilarity. Or not.

Unfortunately, convict Howard is soon forgotten as the film focuses almost solely on Lawrence, and seriously begins to grate as Big Momma's Southern screeches make up about 95% of the dialogue. The slowly developing romance between Malcolm and Sherry is also guaranteed to make audiences cringe with it's predictability.

Lawrence and Giamatti make the best of a bad job, although the audience are left wondering exactly why they took on the roles in the first place, whilst Dashon is convincing as Evil Criminal on the Loose. Predictably, all characters are shockingly two-dimensional, but to be fair, Big Momma's House does at least generate some laughs along the way.

It is difficult to see specifically who this film is aimed at, but there must be some attraction, judging by a high-grossing opening weekend in the States. However, non-existent plot and character development will ensure that many of the audience leave disappointed. Only to be seen by those who know what they're letting themselves in for.

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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Big Momma's Funhouse, 28 August 2008

Author: sc8031 from United States

Martin Lawrence goes undercover in a suburb of Georgia as an overweight southern grandmother in "Big Momma's House". It's up there with "Black Knight" and "Blue Streak" as a ridiculous, predictable and stupid yet charmingly funny Martin Lawrence vehicle. Some of the dialog is almost non-sensical and seems to rely on Martin Lawrence's improvisational, uh... skills. Of course, why nobody recognizes that their friend/mother (Big Momma) is being impersonated horribly, I don't know. But that sort of adds to the movie I guess.

The story here doesn't matter that much. Really, it doesn't. Paul Giamatti plays the signature goofy white partner, who occasionally gets pushed around by the neighborhood locals to much comedic success (it is actually pretty funny, if predictable, like everything else here). Nia Long reprises her typical role as the love interest, and then a bunch of goofy physical stunts are taken from "Mrs. Doubtfire" and given a slightly different flair -- playing on southern black stereotypes (deep fried home cooking, going to church, etc.).

This movie is cheesy and ridiculous. I don't think you even need to watch the whole thing, nor watch it twice (though there is a sequel, and seeing that would basically be watching this movie twice). But for what it is, it's pretty goofy and entertaining.

4.5

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
An uneven comedy, but it has more laughs than I expected, 5 July 2010

Author: Electrified_Voltage from Guelph, Ontario, Canada

I was in my early teens when this was released ten years ago, and I never heard of it at the time. In early 2006, I went to the theatre while this movie's sequel, "Big Momma's House 2", was playing, but since I had never seen the original by this point and could see that the sequel was widely hated, it was obviously not the movie I was going to see. Instead, I went to see "The Matador" on that particular trip to the movie theatre. It took me over four years after that to get around to watching the original "Big Momma's House", and just before seeing it, I had low expectations, thinking it would probably be a very unfunny comedy, even if it wasn't absolutely terrible. However, while it's unsurprisingly not that great, I did laugh.

Malcolm Turner is an FBI agent who is very skilled in disguising himself for undercover operations. After it is announced that a murderer and robber named Lester Vesco has just escaped from prison, where he was serving his life sentence, Malcolm and fellow FBI agent John Maxwell are sent to catch him. The FBI believes that the criminal's ex-girlfriend, Sherry Pierce, was also involved in criminal activity, but they haven't been able to prove it. Malcolm and John go to the neighbourhood in Georgia where Sherry's morbidly obese grandmother, Hattie Mae Pierce (a.k.a. Big Momma) lives, and begin to spy on her. Sherry is on her way to her grandmother's house with her son, Trent, but before they arrive, Big Momma leaves town unexpectedly, so Malcolm decides to pose as the feisty elderly woman! He takes on her lifestyle while trying to get the truth from Sherry, and also finds himself falling for the criminal's ex-girlfriend!

Before it is announced that Lester has escaped from prison and Malcolm and John go to spy on Big Momma's house, the film begins with the two FBI agents busting a dog fight, and I guess parts of this sequence are somewhat funny, but no more than that. The film continues to be mostly straight-faced after this, as we learn about the escaped prisoner, the two agents are sent on their mission, and Malcolm disguises himself as Big Momma. The early part where Malcolm has to hide in the shower while Big Momma defecates is memorable, but not in a good way. For a while, it didn't seem like I would be able to give "Big Momma's House" a rating higher than 5/10. I frequently snickered, but it didn't look like I would ever find any BIG laughs in the film. However, that eventually changed. While it's still not that consistent later on, it certainly can be funny with the things Malcolm has to do while in disguise, including a baby delivery. The scene with Sherry seeing Malcolm as himself and the FBI agent claiming to be a handyman is also a really funny part. The story and characters can also be interesting.

This 2000 release is definitely not generally considered one of the great modern-day comedies, and after seeing it, I can understand why, but I've seen much worse excuses for comedy. I wouldn't have been too surprised if I had thought "Big Momma's House" was really lame when I watched it, but while I'm sure many people think it is, I can't say I do. It is uneven, but sometimes funny. Also, there isn't nearly as much juvenile toilet humour in the movie as that one defecation scene suggests! Martin Lawrence plays the lead role here. I haven't seen him in any other film and have only seen a bit of his stand-up comedy, so I'm not that familiar with his work, but think he does a pretty good job with his performance here. This film is a little cheesy and doesn't have the most original plot, and more thought could have been put into the ending as well, but if you want a silly, raunchy comedy, this particular one might work, at least in some parts.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
A Boisterous but Barely Original Drag Comedy Thriller, 26 September 2008

Author: Van Roberts (zardoz@bellsouth.net) from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

J. Edgar Hoover would spin in his grave if he saw how the Federal Bureau of Investigation nabs their nemesis in director Raja Gosnell's "Big Mama's House." This boisterous but barely original drag comedy thriller casts comedian Martin Lawrence as a streetwise, gung ho FBI agent who disguises himself as a rambunctious 325-pound African-American grandmother in Georgia so he can capture an escaped murderer out to recover $2-million in missing loot from a bank robbery. Although not nearly as exciting as "Blue Streak," "Big Momma's House" is a hundred times funnier. When Martin Lawrence transforms himself with prosthetics and padding into obese grandmother Hattie May Pierce, "Big Momma's House" makes up for all its lapses in logic with loads (and lards) of laughter.

When Sherry Pierce (Nia Long of "Soul Food") learns that her deadly ex-boyfriend, convicted bank robber Lester Vesco (suave Terrence Howard of "Pride"), has bluffed his way out of prison and is on the prowl, she packs up her young son Trent (Jascha Washington of "Three Strikes"), and they leave Los Angeles. Lester wants to retrieve the $2-million in cash that he stole from the bank. The authorities have suspected for a long time that Sherry may have helped him, but because they never found the loot they have left her alone. Meanwhile, the FBI has anticipated Sherry's move to contact her grandmother in Cartersville, Georgia, so they dispatch agents Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) and his white partner John (Paul Giamatti of "Sideways") to set up an around-the-clock surveillance on Hattie May Pierce (Ella Mitchell of "Lord Shango"). Just as Sherry rolls into town, Hattie May rolls out to tend a sick friend. Desperately, afraid they will lose their only chance to catch Lester, Malcolm mimics Big Momma on the phone and encourages Sherry to visit her. Feverishly, Malcolm and John whip together an unconvincing replica of Hattie May that Malcolm wears to hoodwink the gullible Sherry.

Martin Lawrence is the whole show in "Big Momma's House." If you love Lawrence (toned to a PG-13 rating), you'll laugh your ribs raw at his amusing antics. Most of "Big Momma's" humor springs from her rotund physique. The bathroom humor may offend some, but the scene where Malcolm's Hattie May delivers a baby with Cisco and a toilet plunger is alone worth watching. "Big Momma" proves that a crowd-pleasing comedy need not bow to logic. Hattie May on the basketball court trouncing two tough street kids at hoops; defeating a bumbling self-defense instructor; and give a sermon in church is funny but not for a moment believable. Martin Lawrence's energetic performance (as Martin again) overshadows these glaring mistakes.

"Never Been Kissed" director Raja Gosnell milks "Big Momma's House" strictly for laughs. Some scenes will split your sides if you aren't careful. Gosnell refuses to indulge himself on the action scenes. Further, he gives short shrift to Terrence Howard's felonious escapee. Howard hovers on the periphery but never makes a deep impression. Although the Feds classify Lester as a cold-blooded killer, he spares a rent-a-cop's life. Repeatedly, Lester embraces adversaries with uncharacteristic charity. As a result, "Big Momma" emerges as a slick, sympathetic, one dimensional screwball comedy with only the stretch marks of serious drama. No antagonism burns like a fuse between Lester and Malcolm, and their showdown brawl is absurdly brief. Ostensibly, since this lackluster villain poses a minimal threat to either heroine or hero, the film lacks any dramatic catharsis. At best, as a director, Gosnell is efficient; at worst, he is a hack. Happily, he keeps this formulaic fracas moving at a brisk clip and confines it to a trim 97 minutes.

The romance between Malcolm and Sherry sputters until he dons latex thighs and flour sack breasts. They make a generic couple, and their romance seems like supplemental fodder to flesh. Of course, while it adds depth, the filmmakers fail to make something out of it. Moreover, Malcolm breaks character, showing an interest in Sherry. John warns Malcolm that he is treading thin ice in his dealings with Sherry. For somebody who refused to be tied-down to a family, Malcolm appears hell-bent on courting Sherry and impressing Trent. Naturally, since Malcolm loves Sherry, any doubts in anybody's mind about the issue of Sherry's guilt should disappear. Any relationship with a character other than "Big Momma," however, takes second place, so Malcolm lusts after Sherry in disguise. Sounds rather perverted, doesn't it? The flashlight scene in bed between them (prominently featured in the film's trailers) gets a chuckle.

Clearly, scenarists Darryl ("Soldier Boyz") Quarles and Don Rhymer derived inspiration for "Big Momma's House" from cross-dressing cinematic classics, such as "Chris Columbus' "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993), Billy Wilder's "Some Like It Hot" (1959), and Sydney Pollack's "Toostie" (1982) as well as romantic shoot'em ups like John Badham's "Stakeout" (1987) and F. Gary Gray's "Set It Off" (1996). Like the Richard Dreyfuss cop in "Stakeout," Malcolm is determined to help Sherry, even if it intrudes on his ethics. Sherry's relationship with a notorious bank robber recalls a similar conflict in Vivica A. Fox's relationship with a bank robber and her subsequent firing in "Set It Off." Sadly, despite the best efforts of Quarles and Rhymer, "Big Momma's House" amounts to little more than a series of cleverly staged vignettes a la Flip Wilson's Geraldine of Lawrence dodging into and out of character as a mammoth matriarch. Quarles and Rhymer stretch "Big Momma" beyond the bounds of anybody's credibility to accommodate some of the most absurd premises. A blind man could easily distinguish Martin's Hattie May from Ella Mitchell's Hattie May. Ella is bigger than Martin. Essentially, the filmmakers ask us to believe that Big Momma's lifelong friends would not be able to spot an imposter on the spot.

Again, if you hate Martin Lawrence, don't enter "Big Momma's House." Despite all of the obvious narrative flaws, especially in its flaky logic, Martin Lawrence's wide-eyed, rude humor and his prosthetic posturings redeem this crime comedy.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
average, 11 December 2001
Author: Real Critic

The plot is extremely stupid, but some of the comical elements are pretty decent. This is an example of one of those movies where everyone doesn't understand the humor, which may explain why some didn't like it. Not a great movie, but not necessarily unwatchable. 1/4

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Well, it could have been worse, 30 March 2012
Author: Wizard-8 from Victoria, BC

When you have a movie with a title like "Big Momma's House", you shouldn't expect high art. I certainly wasn't, but sometimes that's okay - sometimes you just want an excuse to laugh.

Still, I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed with what they did here. The fault lies with the screenplay. For starters, it is not exactly original. While I wouldn't call this movie a blatant rip-off of "Stakeout", in several regards it's too close to that earlier movie for its own good. Speaking of familiar, another problem I had was that too many of the gags involving Lawrence as the cross-dressing FBI agent I had more or less seen in other movies before. Plus, the movie devotes far too much time to this than fleshing out the story - if what's here could be considered a story.

On the positive side, the movie is filled with energy, both in front of and behind the camera. There's enough energy that some viewers not wanting to think while watching a movie might find the enterprise enjoyable enough. If that sounds like you, you'll probably find this movie adequate. If you want more nutrition in your cinematic diet, look elsewhere.

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Uneven, but nowhere near as bad as I feared, 21 July 2011

Author: TheLittleSongbird from United Kingdom

Looking at how this movie looked in advertising, part of me wanted to avoid it. However, years later I gave it the benefit of the doubt, and while it is an uneven film it is nowhere near as bad as it could have been. The story is briskly paced, but rather predictable and thin in places and some scenes do feel a little rushed. There are some funny lines and gags, but also ones that rely on gross-out humour and come across as uninspired. The characters can have a tendency to be irritating and also to be stereotyped. However, the movie does look good with striking locations and the filming is more than decent, and there is an energetic soundtrack. In the dialogue and gags that work, they are actually quite funny. The direction is better than average, as are the performances. Martin Lawrence seems to be really enjoying himself, and it was nice to see Paul Giamatti in support. In conclusion, not great but not bad either. 6/10 Bethany Cox

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