1. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a Martin Lawrence movie, as much as it’s a Brandon T. Jackson vehicle. For illustrative purposes, remember – if you will – how a young, cocained Bill Cosby accidentally outshined Sidney Portier in Uptown Saturday Night. Of course none of the ‘Big Momma’s’ franchise while ever be as highly regarded as ‘Uptown’ & ‘Let’s Do It Again,’ but you smell my cologne. Also, you’re a fool if you sleep on Martin’s star power, even if it’s merely a shadow of it’s former shadow.
2. Every old dog needs a predecessor, & really, though; Brandon T. Jackson is definitely a part of the future of Black hollywood. & I mean that in the most heterosexual way possible. That said, it would behoove ol’ Marcus Burnett to attach his wagon to one of these up & coming stars (like Brandon or Raven Simone) if only because I don’t see Will Smith ditching sun-worship to make another Bad Boys movie, & there’s now a completely different Hollywood demographic. & for the most part, it doesn’t include 50 year old Black comedians. Ask a 12 year old about Martin Lawrence & see how many thought he was dead. The others surely know him from his show ‘Martin,’ but that lapse in judgment went off the air years ago. Plus, not all Blacks think that crap factory was a “classic show.” How it remains in nationwide syndications is anybody’s guess, especially BET’s.
3. Plenty of cats are way more ducksauce then Brandon T. Jackson. He catches a lot of unnecessary crap for the roles he plays (or maybe it’s how well he plays them…), but I salute a man who’s comfortable enough with himself to portray a goat-boy in a movie. For those that doubt the skill level Mr. Jackson needed to successfully convince the audience of his Black cross-dressing swag in Like Father Like Son (watch your back, Tyler Perry), think back to that scene in Six Degrees Of Separation, when all you could think as you watched was “WILL?!?! THE FUCK?!?!” Now obviously fat suits & homoerotic scenes with White men aren’t in the same ball park, but you smell my cologne. My point is best proven by a quote I took from Kevin Durant’s mom. Simply, she stated “If you want to be the best, you gotta do extra.” Indeed.
4. All bullshit aside, Martin Lawrence can still pull a movie together. He’s done it countless times before, & I’m sure he will do it as long as movie houses pay Black celebrities to shuck & jive for monies. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Martin, though, is a better wingman than star, like in ‘Nothing To Lose’ & ‘Life,’ even Bad Boys 1 & 2. When he tries to helm the ship, it usually crashes a few times before it reaches it’s destination. Nonetheless, after the smoke & mirrors of the ever elusive transgender federal agents wears thin (which it does when friendships begin to get a little creepy & lesbianish), the story of ‘Big Momma’s House: Like Father Like Son’ is about how step-dads are the new biological father. Or at least that’s what I gleaned. Realistically, there’s no such thing as the “traditional family” anymore, & these types of movies can help children transition into those types of situations. Of course, that’s if you believe that most of what your children learn in life will be from other people, like I do.
It felt good to take my sons to a movie that was considerably more safe than the majority of their video games. Plus, between me & you, I try & expose my children to movies/shows with positive, Black male role models because according to music & tv, “we’re” an endangered species. An urban legend, if you will. Whether Martin dressing up as Madea to catch bad guys counts as “positive” or not is up to you, but I use the grade curve system for everything. & Martin can be doing much worse for his money than a little “harmless” Rupauling.
