The good decisions just keep flying over at 20th Century Fox. Today they announced the continuation of yet another on of their signature franchises, that critical darling, Big Momma’s House. They’ve taken the first steps towards resurrecting the Martin Lawrence fat suit vehicle by hiring Randi Mayem Singer to write a script for Big Momma’s House 3. Singer has a great deal of experience in the skinny male comedian disguised as a fat granny genre, having previously written Mrs. Doubtfire. Nice to know he’s not uncomfortable going back to that well.
Originally Big Momma’s House starred Martin Lawrence as an undercover agent in disguise as an obese, elderly grandmother. This resulted in many exciting scenes in which an elderly woman ogled naked young women in the shower. Hey, I wonder if that’s how they got that video of Erin Andrews? Maybe they’ll work a hidden boob cam into this sequel. So far though, no word on what third movie will involve or how they can possibly keep coming up with excuses for an undercover to repeatedly disguise himself as a granny. Also no confirmation on whether Lawrence will be back, but it seems unlikely they’d bother making it without him.
That’s the real fly in the ointment of this otherwise gold-plated franchise. Tyler Perry can churn out Madea movies forever, he’s not playing a man disguised as a reprehensible, elderly, female felon the character simply is a reprehensible, elderly, female felon. Eddie Murphy can make Norbit and Klump movies forever if he wants to. But three movies in, it’s getting a bit ridiculous for Martin Lawrence to keep ending up in that dress. Why does he think Robin Williams has never made another Mrs. Doubtfire? Of course Robin Williams is Robin Williams and Martin Lawrence is, sadly, Martin Lawrence. Outside of this and Bad Boys (which also just announced another sequel), it’s not like he has much else. Where’s Martin Lawrence’s Dead Poets Society? Come on, at least give him his own Patch Adams.
