Big Trouble (PG-13, 2002)

In BIG TROUBLE, Tim Allen plays Eliot Arnold, a once-successful columnist reduced to writing ad copy after an altercation with his boss. He is held in contempt by his teen son Matt (Ben Foster), who is on a quest to "kill" pretty classmate Jenny (Zooey Deschanel) by squirting her with a water gun in a tag-like game. Meanwhile, Jenny's stepfather Arthur (Stanley Tucci) is the target of a less benign hitman for stealing money from some bad guys. A couple of cops (Jeaneanne Garofolo and Patrick Warburton), a Frito-loving, tree-sitting, strong but sweet guy with a Jesus hairdo (Jason Lee), a couple of Russians who deal weapons, a nuclear device that looks like a garbage disposal, a remarkable number of televisions with their screens shot out, and a herd of goats all manage to play a part before things get resolved.

If not quite as sharp as it could be, "Big Trouble" is still a sharp, funny movie. Based on the book by Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Berry, it has a terrific cast getting caught up in delicious comic chaos seasoned with a couple of howlingly funny wisecracks.

The translation of book to screen is uneven, primarily because the story is all situation and no character. Even with exceptionally strong personalities in the roles and a director with a refreshing combination of a laid-back tone and a brisk pace, the film still asks too much of the audience by wanting us to care about characters we hardly know.

Studio: Touchstone Pictures
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Cast: Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci, Tim Allen
Genre: Comedy
Run time: 85 minutes
Theatrical release: April 5, 2002
DVD release: October 8, 2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13
MPAA explanation: language, sexual references, and violence