Eh, what can I say? It was late, I was bored, and this 2002 movie was on Comedy Central.
A match made in mediocrity.
Tim Allen, desperately trying to get away from roles that don't feature kids or large dogs, plays a down-on-his-luck newspaper columnist turned advertising writer.
There are many things we journalists do when we burn out, and I'm ashamed to say that shilling for soap and soda is among them.
But some of us try to write novels, which is what Dave Berry, a former columnist for the Miami Herald, did. He wrote the book this movie's based on, and it's *obvious* that Allen's character is a placeholder for the author.
"Big Trouble" has the same sort of kooky, knockabout humor with a wink of movies like "Get Shorty." (Huh ... "Get Shorty" (the novel) was written by Elmore Leonard, who also writes ... wait for it ... newspaper columns!)
Both movies even have Rene Russo as the cool, calm babe of interest.
But there's cops and criminals and drunken security guards and kids with squirt guns and lots of misunderstandings and comic misdoings. And goats. We can't forget the goats.
But a major plot point involving amazingly inept airport security and a stolen nuclear bomb in carry-on luggage meant this movie got delayed for *months* after 9/11. I guess wacky hi jinks during hijacks weren't funny then.
Jason Lee gets a memorable turn as a tree-dwelling hippy who loves Fritos.
Funny in a late-night TV sort of way.
"My name is Puggy and I live in a tree. I hope I didn't ruin anything for you."
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