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BIG STAN

  Publicity Stills of
"Big Stan"
(Courtesy of Shaw)
 
 

Genre: Comedy
Director: Rob Schneider
Cast: Rob Schneider, Brandon Molale, David Carradine, Randy Couture, Barbara Dodd
RunTime: 1 hr 45 mins
Released By: Shaw
Rating: M18 (Mature Content)

Opening Day: 2 October 2008

Synopsis:

"Big Stan" marks the directorial debut of "Saturday Night Live" alum Rob Schneider ("Deuce Bigelow," "The Animal") and features David Carradine ("Kill Bill") and Jennifer Morrison (TV's "House"). The comedy, written by Josh Lieb, tells the story of Stan (Schneider), a white collar con man who, after being sentenced to prison, spends his last remaining free days trying to figure out ways to avoid being violated in "the big house." Seeking help from a mysterious martial arts guru known only as "The Master" (Carradine), Stan transforms himself into a combat expert ultimately bringing the warring prison gangs together and establishing a hysterical peace within its walls.

Movie Review:


We seriously don’t remember California born comedian Rob Schneider having a good bod. In the first place, he isn’t the most attractive looking leading star around anyway – Deuce Bigalow, The Animal and The Hot Chick? We’d think you’ll pass on too. In his latest leading role, the Saturday Night Live alum not only manages to sport a nice physique, he also takes on the role of the director for this first time in his movie career.

Schneider plays Stan, a con man who gets sent to jail for fraud. Afraid that he would be humiliated and tortured by the big and mean prison folks (read: gang rape), Stan seeks help from a mysterious man known simply as The Master to buff up his wobbly bod. Within six months, small Stan is transformed into big Stan. The martial arts expert goes to jail confidently, and even manages to introduce peace and harmony to the battling gangs in prison.

To be fair, this is a rather decent plot with the potential to incorporate decent humor. Sure, it doesn’t warrant anything highly original (nothing much does these days, anyway), but the filmmakers should be able to milk a few barrels of laughs from the average movie goer. And it does, in the usual Rob Schneider way, of course.

If you are familiar with the comedian’s previous works, this one wouldn’t surprise you in any way. Expect crude humor where body parts are made fun of (we find the nipple training method highly disturbing), races to be made fun of (blacks versus Nazis) and sexuality to be made fun of (true love finds its way in a gay couple in prison). All these contribute to the rating and consumer advice given by our friends at the censorship board: M18 (Mature Content).

There are a few amusing and entertaining casting choices which are enjoyable in their own rights. David Carradine puts his experience playing the wisecracking Bill in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill to good use here by spouting even more wisecracks as The Master. Other supporting actors (read: not so well known) play other supporting roles to decent comedic effect – Jennifer Morrison (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Surviving Christmas) as Schneider’s wife with an irritatingly high pitched voice, M Emmet Walsh (Racing Stripes, Christmas with the Kranks) as Schneider’s lethargic lawyer and also Schneider’s own mother who plays a member of the board of governors who appears at the end of the movie. Apparently, she has been appearing in other movies starring her son as the protagonist. Ah, a mother’s love we say.

The 105 minute movie serves up joke after joke which will entertain the audiences. Although somewhat repetitive, one can’t expect any intelligence from a movie of such genre. What? You were expecting something high brow like Woody Allen’s sharply written witty lines? Look elsewhere, dude.

Movie Rating:



(Watch this if you are a fan of movies like Deuce Bigalow, The Animal and The Hot Chick)

Review by John Li

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

. You Don't Mess With The Zohan (2008)

. Grandma's Boy (2006)

. Big Momma's House 2 (2006)

. Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (2005)

. The Longest Yard (2005)


 


 
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