Big Trouble, slated for a release late last year was postponed following the events of September 11 due to the ending scene and the comedic treatment of airport security. In all truthfulness, the movie really didn't deserve to be moved back at all, but apparently, Hollywood thinks that it's time for us to make fun of airport security and hijacked airplanes, when we probably could have handled these situations with a comedic tone last November.

The story follows a bunch of Miamians as they go about their daily lives and all become entangled with each other. It all starts out as Matt and his friend Andrew head to the Herk homestead - with Stanley Tucci as the father, Arthur, Rene Russo as Anna, the wife, and Zooey Deschanel as Jenny, the daughter. Their mission is to shoot Jenny with a watergun for a school game called "killer." When Anna intervenes by tackling young Matt, and mob hitmen - played by Dennis Farina and Jack Kehler - miss their shot, things start to get out of hand. The police show up - Janeane Garofalo and Patrick Warburton - the maid, Nina (Sofía Vergara) runs for cover outside, is saved by the homeless man living in the Herk's tree, played by Jason Lee, and eventually, Matt's father shows up, played by Tim Allen. If this first situation isn't confusing enough, throw a few more characters into the mix - Russian arms smugglers, Ivan (Daniel London) and Jan (Flip Schultz), bumbling armed robbers, Eddie and Snake (Johnny Knoxville and Tom Sizemore), a pair of FBI agents Omar Epps and Heavy D), and last, but certainly not least, Andy Richter as a security guard at both an amusement park and airport (played as Twins).

There's always been movis like this where a bunch of people, all strangers at one point, unite through a common storyline, all culminating in one fantastical ending. Usually, as in the case of Rat Race and other movies of the same ilk, the plot structure just seems to work. All you really need is a competent director, able to move the story along at a good clip and a good cast, able to work well together, fortunately, Big Trouble has both. Barry Sonnenfeld, still trying to recover from 1999's flop, Wild Wild West, is able to direct Tim Allen along with the rest of the eclectic in this fast-paced, well-written comedy.

After watching the film, I've decided two things: 1) I have no desire to visit Miami in the near future and 2) A hodge-podge of actors put together with an off-the-wall script works well - last year it was Rat Race, this year it's Big Trouble - which is anything but.

Genres: Comedy
Rated: PG-13 - For language, crude humor and sex-related, material.
Runtime: 85 minutes
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