From Deseret News archives:
Big Fat Liar
Film review
OK, perhaps that's a bit harsh . . . to 14-year-olds. At least they wouldn't be so dumb as to pad out an already slight comedy with musical montages and a plug so shameless that it makes the whole film seem like a feature-length advertisement for a California theme park.
That theme park is Universal Studios, which not-so-coincidentally is the distributor of "Big Fat Liar."
To be fair, this family comedy isn't completely painful. It's just rather leaden and dull, which comes as at least a small surprise, considering the film's talented cast, led by "Malcolm in the Middle" star Frankie Muniz. He plays the title character, Jason Shepherd. Jason's a pathological liar, which gets him in trouble with bullies and at home and school.
He also swipes Jason's paper, which he hopes to turn into a movie that can save his career. That's no help to Jason, who is facing the prospect of summer school. So he flies off to Hollywood, dragging along his best friend Kaylee (Amanda Bynes from Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show") to try to persuade Wolf to come clean.
It's clear that the filmmakers are trying to evoke comparisons to "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Unfortunately, the dumb shenanigans here are more reminiscent of the "Home Alone" movies, and only slightly less mean-spirited.
Worse, the cast is all over the map. Normally, Muniz has charm, but here he comes off as rather smug. And the perpetually smirking Bynes is only slightly better.
So you can almost forgive comic character-actor Giamatti for going so far over the top as he tries to overcompensate for the rest of the performances. But he's never been this unfunny.
"Big Fat Liar" is rated PG for slapstick violence, mildly vulgar humor and scattered use of mild, religiously based profanity. Running time: 88 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com
Comments
Cast: Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes, Amanda Detmer
Find a Movie Theater
- Study links DNA and obesity 9:15 p.m.
- World datelines 9:15 p.m.
- Utah/BYU rivalry can be more civil 9:15 p.m.
- Drug wars ravaging Mexican city 9:13 p.m.
- Iran chokes off Net on eve of rallies 9:13 p.m.
- 4 detained in Russian club fire 9:12 p.m.
- Iraqis reach deal on election law 9:10 p.m.
- Cougars going back to Vegas 9:07 p.m.
- Jazz start tough week with Spurs 8:42 p.m.
- Bring the true spirit of Christmas 8:36 p.m.
- Y., U. to learn bowl destinations
- BYU and Utah's bowl games
- BYU professor killed in crash
- The forgotten ship: USS Utah
- Branch president without a congregation
- Utahns want health care reform bills
- BYU basketball: Cougars crush Dons
- Kurt Bestor: Joy for the world
- Tiger's SUV, personal life are a wreck
- Jazz upset by Wolves
- Why is Y. ignoring spew of hatred?
314 - Letters: Liberal because LDS
256 - Y. profs: Beck not all-knowing
212 - Hate not limited to 1 in-state rivalry
189 - Aggies shoot past Cougars
179 - N.Y. Senate rejects gay marriage
130 - George lost in rivalry hatefest
113 - Unbeaten BYU takes trip to Logan
105 - Harpring's NBA career is over
95 - Ed Smart 'appalled' at testimony
95
that our Coach Whittingham, who could coach anywhere, will come up with a...
This is just a ploy for the BCS to keep TCU and BSU out of the preseason top...
not good enough for the WAC but 50-50 in the Big sky!
Thank you, Deseret News for caring enough to run a story like this. All...
Wow, just 1 second in the Texas-Nebraska separated TCU from playing in the...
No divided loyalties here = Go BYU. OSU almost made it to the Rose Bowl....
we beat Alabama last year and are rebuilding this year. Surely we can beat...
BYU didn't play an 8-5 team in 1984. It played a 6-5 team that had to take a...
I took one of his classes at education week and was very pleased that I did....
It is true...I can love a BYU fan and they can love me too. World peace...




You can be the first to comment on this story.