Big Fat Liar Review
by Karina Montgomery (karina AT cinerina DOT com)June 21st, 2002
Big Fat Liar
Rental With Snacks
This is a little out of keeping with the past few movies I have seen - Oscar contenders and action flicks. I needed to see something light, and I have promised myself always see what Paul Giamatti is doing. I have yet to be disappointed by Paul, regardless of the vehicle. I would go to great lengths to get him and Jack Black in a movie together. The premise is this: Freddie "Malcolm in the Middle" Muniz happens to be a big fat liar whose short story idea glorifying that habit is stolen by a master liar, Giamatti, a Hollywood Wolf (literally, his last name is Wolf, ha ha). There's plenty of kids-movie shenanigans and a plethora of gags where Hollywood makes fun of itself. I was pleased that not all the Hollywood gags were Universal Studios Tour level gags - some of them were righteously clever. But the only reason to see this film is to see Paul. Like in Duets, he rules and steals the film.
Muniz, of course with Ferris Bueller-like guile and luck, stages a series of elaborate revenge tactics against Wolf with a pretty embarrassingly small payoff as his request. As proven by other famous intellectual property lawsuits in Hollywood history, this kid has a lot more leverage than he is trying to gain, but that makes Wolf's resistance even more over the top. Wolf is rude, unabashedly egotistic, hilariously callous, and yet transparently weak - which makes him a delicious target for Muniz' schemes. This is no Rat Race, my friends, and don't for a minute let me give the impression that it is - and it's no first-time-behind-the-mike scene from Duets either, but our boy Pig Vomit has really proven he can carry a movie.
Model chick Amanda Bynes plays a largely throwaway girlfriend to Muniz, whose only real moment to shine is when she is duping someone, and the movie puts in a lot of required fun/kid movie elements like a "shopping spree" montage and of course, kid paradise. She started out being a bit of a weak link, but then ended up being the vehicle for some momentarily sublime laughs, such as actress Sparkle as Kaylee's grandma. If you're wondering where you've seen Wolf's assistant, Monty (Amanda Detmer) before, it's The Majestic and Final Destination. She's come a long way, baby. You can see glimpses of untapped comic ability bubbling within, but this is not the movie for her to get to show it.
The film has a very TV-friendly feel, with easily insertable commerical breaks and nothing very big screen feeling, and of course, improbabilities galore. We go to a movie like Big Fat Liar to see the set pieces, the Porky's and Meatballs pranks and to get tips for the Young Hooligan's Handbook. I personally appreciate the recurring clown themes. Kudos to Fall Guy Lee Majors showing that he's not pushing up daisies by a long shot!
Rent it for Paul. You can't help but laugh at whatever he does.
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These reviews (c) 2002 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to forward but just credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks.
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