Customer Reviews

Big Fat Liar

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

OK, I only watched this film because it was shown on a recent transcontinental flight, and because I forgot my CD player, this seemed like the best option. I dreaded something out of the pits of Nickelodeon marketing bin, but ended up laughing out loud many times and disturbing my sleeping planemates.

Impressive teen actor Frankie Muniz and veteran Paul Giamatti (who are both perfectly cast in their respective roles) lock horns in classic slapstick style. Unlike the "Home Alone" movies, however, the continuous battle of pranks doesn't get old as the movie rolls along. Giamatti shines as the classic evil Hollywood type, bringing back memories of his magnificent part as Pig Vomit in "Howard Stern: Private Parts." I hate to typecast him, but he plays the role to a perfection.

Amanda Byrnes fills in nicely as the token female 'friend' of Muniz, giving the viewers a taste of gentle teen angst.

Parents, if you have kids between the ages of 10-17, then you'll have a blast watching this movie with them, airplane or no airplane.

A very enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours. This is not a back handed compliment in any way but my 5 year old was glued to the screen and at his age he's not supposed to understand all the nuances of a movie, but this movie is so simple and direct that he had no problem following it, way past his bedtime too.

It's a hark back to the times when good guys were good guys and bad guys were bad guys and you definitely tell who was who (no silly de rigeur twists). An over the top acting job for Wolfy but the character asks for no other. Nice to see Lee Majors, as a stuntman no less, no doubt many will miss the significance of that. And the wunderful(sic) Donald Faison before Scrubs.

Overall, very enjoyable for the younger and older viewers. (You see, I don't know who Amanda Byrnes and Frankie Munoz are.)

At first, my impression on "Big Fat Liar" was that is was nothing more than dumb, Nickelodeon kid-flick; but then I saw it. I was very surprised by how it was very funny and very entertaining. I'm a big Universal Studios fan, and this movie had A LOT of Universal stuff in it, including the imfamous backlot tour and the prop shop.

The story is very famlish, never the less, clever. Jason Shepard (TV's Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz) is a liar, straight off the bat. He lies constainly about everything, espeacialy with the whole homework excuse "My dog ate it" or "My dad is in the hospital (sniff)". But this time, his assignment was stolen...for real. While trying to get to class, he is acidentally run over (don't worry, parents. The scene is put on a cartoonish note) by a big-shot movie producer, Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti), who has been known to be a huge jerk to people. Marty offers Jason a ride to school. While the trip, Jason tell Marty about his paper homework due, title "Big Fat Liar", a story about a compulsive liar, who gets bigger each time he lies. While being dropped off, Jason forgets his paper and Marty takes it. A few months later, Jason and his best friend, Kaylee (Nickelodeon's Amanda Byrnes) go to the movies and see a trailer for a movie called "Big Fat Liar", which immediately makes Jason furious. While Jason's parents are gone on vacation fo the summer, Jason and Kaylee take a trip to Los Angeles to find Wolf and get down to business. Along the way, they befriend a actor-turned-limo driver, named Frank (Donald Adeosun Faison) and Marty's partner at the studio, Monty Kirkham (Amanda Detmer). While Jason and Kaylee find shelter at Universal Studio's Prop shop, Jason Persues in finding Marty and getting either revenge or an appology. During a rude encounter with Marty, Jason decides Vengence...all the way. He and Kaylee form together all the people Wolf has been mean to and plot a payback to ge Marty out of Business,for good.

One thing I liked about this movie was how it took place at Universal Studios Hollywood 75% of the time, aside from the obious (Monty, in one scene, is walking and talking on her cell phone in front of the Bates Motel House) there is the scene in the prop shop, were the kids shack up, where pieces of recent Universal films, such as "The Grinch", are left laying around, along with the DeLorean from "Back to the Future" shown everywhere and the constant showing of the Universal Backlot Tour trams driving by (I love how in one scene, Jason and Kaylee leap off a tram to see something: keep in mind that you could never do that in real life!). BIG FAT LIAR is a great family film, but better for kids. And it's the thing Universal fans, like me, been waiting for.

Oh My God, this movie was great! Amanda Bynes (The Amanda Show, All That) was great! Frankie (Malcom In The Middle) was great too! Remember Clueless the tv seires? The dude that played Murray is in it. It all begins when Jason Shepard(Muniz) doesn't do his paper for school. When he finally does do it, Marty Wolf takes it and makes a movie from it. When Jason finds out he want his best friend Kaylee(Bynes) to go to LA with him to get Wolf to admit that he stole the paper. When he doesn't admit it, Kaylee and Jason go to Plan B. Putting blue dye in his swimming Pool! I don't wanna give the whole movie away. I would go out and buy it before renting it. I know I did!

Not normally my type of fare, I watched Big Fat Liar with a younger cousin and was hooked immediately. Frankie Muniz and Amanda Bynes' are really likeable and Paul Giamatti is excellent as the bad guy. This movie is a bit cartoonish and unbelievable at times (living in the prop department is just not happening), but it is a lot of fun to watch.

While the movie is entertaining family fare, DVD purchasers should be aware this is a pan and scan only release. Those expecting the theatrical format will be disappointed.

As far as kids movies are concerned, there are few better than this one. I'm not usually one to gush over these kinds of movies, but this one keeps me entertained (sure, in a cheesy kind of way) each and every time I watch it. Each gag, each joke, each scene is just fun and exciting.

Yeah, I like this one; a lot.

The films premise is pretty cool too. Jason is a young kid of fourteen who has an issue with lying (what kid doesn't), and his bad behavior has landed him in some trouble. Jason is the definition of the `boy who cried wolf', and so when he actually tells the truth (that his essay was stolen by a movie mogul who is now plagiarizing by turning his story into a major motion picture) no one believes him; except his best friend Kaylee (but she may not even `really' believe him). When opportunity arises (as it often does in these films), Jason and Kaylee make their way to Hollywood in order to expose this creep and earn the trust of Jason's parents.

The whole idea of young kids using their imaginations to create something excites me, because I was once that kid, dreaming of writing something so amazing it became a movie!

The acting here is very good for a film in this genre, and character actor Paul Giamatti is at the top of the pack. I mean, when is he NOT good (don't answer that...I did see `Lady in the Water', but he was far from the worst part of that mess)? I admit to never having ever seen an episode of `Malcolm in the Middle', but I've seen a few of Frankie Muniz's movies and I really think that for a child actor he is quite good (can you believe he's not a child anymore?). Amanda Bynes is a gimmick, but she's so incredibly enjoyable (I've said this before) and I heart her so I have nothing but praise for her here as well.

What makes the film pop though is the smart writing. This has been done before (you know, smart kids + stupid adults = war) but this feels new and fresh to me. Each gag feels surprising and what is cool about this is that it manages to impress with each viewing. I've seen this a few times and every time I see it I laugh and enjoy myself. In fact, this was on cable last night, and I watched it from start to finish.

It's that much fun.

Frankie Muniz does an excellent job making himself look like a kid who has told "one too many" lies, and now suffers "cry wolf" syndrome.

After Jason Shepherd notices a Hollywood director (he had an accident with) has stolen his English paper and turned it into a successful movie script, he (played by Muniz) sets out on a hilarious adventure to get credit for his work. The best part about the movie is I truly believe something like this has probably happened before...only the person with the stolen screenplay probably did not have the brain power of Muniz and Bynes!

The movie is good clean fun for the whole family. Amanda Bynes knows how to play to the camera, as does just about everyone involved with this movie. Paul Giamatti's "Hungry Like The Wolf Dance" as a blue-colored moron was one of the funniest scenes in a PG movie in a while.

Buy it, watch it, laugh...

GB
www.therunninggirl.com

P.S. If you go to the video store and it is a choice between Big Fat Liar or Lost In Translation, trust me - go with Big Fat Liar.

Frankie Muniz stars as Jason Shepherd, an eighth grader who simply can't ever tell the truth. The opening scene of the film finds him getting to school late (after lying to his parents two or three times) working his way into the classroom through the window (with the help of friend Amanda Bynes) and then lying to his teacher about the reason he does not have his assignment. He spent all night at the hospital with his ailing father. Daddy couldn't figure out how to chew a meatball. He even has the teacher call a phone number to confirm it and lies his way through that as well. (The phone number was his cell phone)

Naturally, the teacher meets his parents later that day and gives him one chance to re do the paper. He does it, is on the way to deliver it, and hits the limo of movie producer Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti). Wolf ends up with the story, makes a movie about it, and Jason now can't convince his parents that he wrote the story.

This movie works primarily because Muniz is charming on the screen. It's essentially adults against kids, with Giamatti really taking a beating. He spends a large amount of the film dyed blue from head to toe because of some pranks the two teens pull on him. He has made some enemies of some adults as well, stepping on them while he has gotten to the top. When they find out the kids are after him, they all want a piece.

I also liked Amanda Bynes. This is the first thing I have seen her in and she does a great job. She sticks by Jason and helps him whenever things look bleak. Watch also for a cameo by Jaleel White, the former star "Urkel". He's grown up and plays off his earlier success nicely.

This movie will mostly appeal to the teen generation. It's silly fun, but harmless as well. With the number of movies targeted at teens these days that are so sexually charged, this one is just good clean fun. I recommend it.

BIG FAT LIAR is a family oriented slapstick comedy which is written by Dan Schneider and Brian Robbins (Robbins also Co-produced); perhaps best known to audiences as Dennis and Eric from the 1980s sitcom HEAD OF THE CLASS.
MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE star Frankie Muniz plays Jason Shepard, a 14 year old perpetual liar who is caught out when fibbing about doing a school English assignment. He is given the ultimatum of writing the paper or being sent to summer school. So Frankie starts writing a fact-based story titled BIG FAT LIAR (clever). He completes the task and heads off to school to hand it in.
However while biking to school he is struck by a limo; whose passenger happens to be Marty Wolfe (Paul Giamatti) a famed Hollywood producer.
To make amends, Wolfe offers to give Jason a ride to school... but on arriving Jason discovers he's left his assignment behind. Of course when Jason tells his teacher the story, she doesn't believe him and she calls a meeting with his parents. So to prove to his parents that this time he's really telling the truth Jason must try and get his paper back from Wolfe.
But Wolfe has other plans, like turning Jason's paper into a major film (which he steals all credit for). A pretty smart move for a guy currently making a movie starring Jaleel "Urkel" White as a cop with a chicken for a partner. Sure-fire blockbuster material.
So in order to get his script back Jason and his friend Kaylee (Amanda Bynes) fly to L.A to try and let the truth be known. But Wolfe, nice guy that he is; sets fire to Jason's script. Is that the end? No. Because as even the most dimwitted Hollywood types know, you always make a back-up copy.
So Jason and Kaylee have no option left but to play dirty. With the help of downtrodden film industry employees who've been burned by Wolfe one time too many; they set out to teach him a lesson once and for all. Which means loads of clumsy slapstick humor, which will really appeal to the kids.
Adults will enjoy seeing the PSYCHO house and other setpieces from movie classics on display here. Some of it's funny, some of it's feeble, but you could do far worse.
DVD Extras include commentary by the director and Muniz, location doco, deleted scenes, trailer and a pretty tacky "tour" of the Universal Studios lot with scenes from the film. Lee Majors; formerly TV's Six Million Dollar Man, also has a glorified cameo appearance.