Synopsis
FBI agent Martin Lawrence has given up the dangers of field work because of his family responsibilities. Now he’s a safety mascot. But when his first partner is killed, Lawrence surreptitiously dons his Big Momma persona gain, posing as a nanny in the family of the chief suspect, a man who is developing software that could compromise national security.
All of the above, of course, is mere pretext to set up all sorts of kute kid komedy as Big Momma tries to play nanny, and romantic …omplications as wife Nia Long becomes suspicious that something is up when she finds gigantic underwear under the bed. This is by-the-numbers comedy, utterly innocuous and bland. There are some passable gags here and there, but trust me, you won’t be choking on your popcorn.
Audio
The sound is crystal clear, the dialogue is distortion-free, and there’s a pounding bass line at choice moments during the score. All this is to the good. But all of this is largely confined to the front speakers. There is some rear speaker activity, but it is disappointing overall, with plenty of missed opportunities, and lots of dead silence, even when the music is hopping. What’s up with that?
Video
Only the fullscreen version was available for review, but the package comes with both. The colours are extremely striking. They are very strong, almost too much so (and I never though I’d say that). In an event, the look is as vibrant as one would wish for a comedy release. There is no grain or visible edge enhancement, and the image is impressively sharp. On the video level, then, this release shines.
Special Features
Director John Whitesell, producer David T. Friendly and supporting actor Zachary Levi get together for the commentary. The result isn’t uniformly rivetting, but it gets the job done. The fullscreen disc also has 12 deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary from Whitesell and Levi. The case boasts of there being a “featurette and more,” but there were no other features on the review disc. The packaging was for a double-disc set, which seems odd, but if that is the case, the rest of the features might be on the retail version, along with the widescreen version of the film. The menu’s main menu and transition to the feature are animated anc scored.
Closing Thoughts
Nice picture, but the movie itself is a monument to mediocrity.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- Deleted/Extended Scenes with Optional Commentary
- Making-of Featurette
