After the success of 'Blue Streak', Martin Lawrence is now back with the latest installment in his line of comedy/action flicks, namely 'Big Momma's House'. Incidentally, 'Big Momma's House' is also the latest flick in the genre of 'Mrs. Doubtfire', 'The Nutty Professor' and 'Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde', where an actor has to do dual roles in a movie.

'Big Momma's House' is directed by Raja Gosnell (Never Been Kissed, Home Alone 3) and written by Darryl Quarles (Soldier Boyz). It stars Martin Lawrence (Life, Blue Streak, Nothing to Lose, Bad Boys), Nia Long (Boiler Room, Held Up), Paul Giamatti (Man on the Moon, Saving Private Ryan), Terrence Dashon Howard and Emma Mitchell.

The flimsy plot? In 'Big Momma's House', Martin Lawrence plays a FBI undercover agent who is presumably a master of disguise ala the agents in 'Mission Impossible'. FBI agent Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence) and his wacky partner John (Paul Giamatti) is assigned to catch a dangerous escaped convict named Lester (Terrence Howard). They check on his background and discover that he has a ex-girlfriend named Sherry (Nia Long). They then set up a stakeout outside the house of Sherry's grandmother in the hopes that Sherry might head there. The grandmother, Big Momma (Emma Mitchell), conveniently heads out of town and Lawrence impersonates her with hilarious results.

In 'Big Momma's House', Lawrence is his usual funny self but it is his costar Paul Giamatti who really steals the show. Giamatti is really funny as the poor reluctant partner to Lawrence's risk-taking Malcolm. He ends up doing all sorts of gags that leaves you just laughing helplessly at him. Nia Long is the helpless female who seems to be ignorant of everything that goes on around her. Also, Lawrence does some really amazing things as Big Momma, including a basketball slamdunk! Can you believe it, this grossly overweight woman doing all sorts of basketball acrobatics!!.

Also, Lawrence's Big Momma has to continuously escape the horny attentions of the real Big Momma's lover, Ben (Carl Wright), which provides for some really amusing scenes. Plus, if you have seen the wacky Singapore movie 'Liang Po Po', you would be reminded of her by Big Momma. This is because Big Momma also does the "Whooo…Whooo" gig almost every time she says something.

However, the plot is unbelievably flimsy and Big Momma's makeup is so fake that it doesn't take a genius to see that it's Martin Lawrence behind the façade. Also, the bad guy, Lester, is supposed to be really dangerous. The only problem is, he hardly makes an impact in the movie except to look sinister and predatory and in the end, goes out with a whimper.

Still, 'Big Momma's House' provides so many laughs and rib-tickling antics that forgiving all the glaring weak points in the movie is not a problem (at least for this reviewer!). So, just forget the obvious weaknesses in the plot and enjoy yourselves laughing your guts out at the antics of both Lawrence and Giamatti. Remember, 'Big Momma's House' is supposed to be a comedy and it does deliver in the laughter section. And it should work out for most moviegoers because 'Big Momma's House' was a massive hit at the U.S. box-office, grossing USD$52.4 million in just two weeks, which is already more than the total take of Jackie Chan's 'Shanghai Noon', if you're looking for comparisons. Not that you should do so, of course.