Reader Recommendation: Big Trouble (2002)

I think it's time to take care of another recommendation sent in by friend of the site and commenter Bobafettjm. I had no idea what to expect going into Big Trouble, I hadn't even read a description for it or anything. I was not prepared for what I was about to find. However, before I get into it, I just want to say, what's with the cover of this movie? None of the people dress in all black like that, and why is the toad brown on the cover when it's supposed to be green? I hate marketing like this. Anyways, you can find out what the big deal is with Big Trouble after the jump.

Lets start with the basics. Big Trouble is a 2002 comedy staring Tim Allen. Personally I think Tim Allen is a pretty good comedian. I used to watch Home Improvement as a kid, and I've enjoyed a good number of his other films since. I don't know if this movie utilizes him to the best of his ability, but he does a good job with what he's given. For a comedy this movie has a surprising amount of chases and running around and not as many out-and-out jokes, but the humour comes from the crazy situations and great cast of characters you run into along the way.

Speaking of the cast, it's absolutely huge. I think there were only 1 or 2 people in a cast of 15+ that I didn't immediately recognize. I was happy to see faces such as a young Zooey Deschanel, Jason Lee, Patrick Warburton, Janeane Garofalo, Johnny Knoxville, and a new favorite actress of mine, Sofía Vergara, who you can currently see on the popular TV series Modern Family. They may not be A-list actors, but they are all very talented character actors, and it shows.

I found the events of this movie completely unpredictable. The story mixes together two innocent families, Russian gun runners, mobsters, a hippy, a super hot maid, some likable cops, the FBI, and a pair of the stupidest thugs I've ever seen. Oh yeah, and there's the jerk that we keep seeing getting karma blown back in his face like the smoke from a cheap cigar. That's always fun! And if you thought I was done with that, lets not forget the cast of animals. We've got a hallucinogenic toad, a herd of goats, and a dog with the face of Martha Stewart. Yeah, bet you didn't expect that!

Overall this was a fun way to spend an hour and a half. It wasn't the greatest comedy I've ever seen, but I can't deny laughing out loud a few times either. If you see it coming on TV and you've got nothing better to do, give it a watch, it will definitely entertain you.