Plot: What’s it about?
Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) is still one of the FBI’s top agents, but right now he is dealing with a shaky witness and a trouble home life. He is close to cracking a big case, but his potential witness wants protection, which he can only provide if the witness wears a wire. As if trying to convince someone to risk their life for his case wasn’t enough, his son Trent (Brandon T. Jackson) is hounding him about going on a rap concert tour. While his son has shown promise as a performer, Malcolm would rather see him go to college and follow in his footsteps. Tired of being put on hold, Trent tracks down Malcolm at work, which lands them both in the middle of a volatile situation. Now the two must go undercover to stay safe and for some reason, dress as women at a girls’ school, where I guess some clue to the case resides.
I used to really like Martin Lawrence. I don’t know what was slipped into my drink at the time, but I used to think Lawrence was one of the funniest dudes around. But the cloud has lifted and of course, I now see Lawrence for the black hole of entertainment that he is really is. As bad as Big Momma’s House 2 was, this sequel is eons worse. I don’t think anyone involved put even the smallest amount of effort into making this movie decent. I knew the plot would be thin, but I figured I’d laugh a little. That was proven to be false, as there is nary a chuckle to be had here. Lawrence is terrible as usual, unable to break out of that “obnoxious guy you want to slap” persona. That worked for him when his career began, but he has failed to evolve at all as a performer. His costars don’t fare much better, but you can at least partially blame the weak material in their cases. I sincerely hope this is the last Big Momma movie and I am ashamed that I once liked the original. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son is just not a funny movie and since that is its sole purpose, you can skip this one.
Video: How does it look?
Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son is presented in 2.40:1 widescreen. This is a solid transfer, but it never hits the level we expect from the best in high definition. The detail is good, especially when compared to the standard edition, but doesn’t pop the way you might think. The colors are intense, perhaps too much so, but black levels seem stable and consistent. Not a dynamic visual effort, but it looks more than solid.
Audio: How does it sound?
This DTS HD 5.1 option offers a robust, better than expected presentation. The movie features numerous action oriented scenes and while not overly explosive, these segments do add some nice punch to the experience. The surrounds light up and some power is injected, so the action sounds quite good. The rest of the audio is as you’d expect, the music sounds terrific and dialogue is clear throughout. A good comedy soundtrack with some nice action bumps, this is a very good track. This release also includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, Spanish and French language tracks, and subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
An audio commentary has the director, a producer, and several cast members, but let’s be realistic, does anyone actually care about how this movie was made? This release also includes two music videos, two brief featurettes, some deleted scenes, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
