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Big Fat Liar

Wolfman, traumatised by the pool incident

The tale of the boy who cried wolf one too many times

By Emma Kae - 3rd July 2002 - Back to News

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Big Fat Liar tells the modernised story of boy cries wolf as fourteen-year-old Jason Shepherd (Frankie Muniz) embarks on a journey to prove his first-time innocence.

The story begins when Jason – phenomenal fibber of the century (with the possible exception of Bill Clinton) stretches the truth a little too far and his lie comes back to take him down like a temperamental boomerang.

His punishment is to write a 1,000 word essay or face looking longingly at the sunshine through classroom windows as he attends the dreaded Summer School to make up for the elaborate lies he told to avoid homework.

Jason writes his essay on perhaps the only subject he knows better than any of his teachers, and titles it (you guessed it) "Big Fat Liar".

Just when Jason thinks that he has the desperate situation under wraps, disaster strikes in the form of psychopathic film producer Marty Wolf riding in the back of a limousine. When the vehicle hits Jason on his journey to hand in his paper, Wolf reluctantly gives him a ride to school. But when he gets out, Jason leaves his assignment on the seat. Of course, no-one believes his story and Jason is forced to go to Summer School.

Fast forward to sometime later when Jason and his gal pal Kaylee (Amanda Bynes) are at the cinema. He is startled to see a coming attraction preview that outlines his essay and sure wnough, it’s "Big Fat Liar". The defiant Jason convinces Kaylee to come with him to Hollywood and take the thieving Wolfman out.

What follows is Jason’s campaign of terror against the producer, an unrelenting torrent of ridiculous revenge tactics. This includes lots of low brow pranks such as adding blue dye into Wolfman’s swimming pool, applying superglue to his mobile phone ear-piece, and towing his car away.

While the film is unremarkable, hardly realistic and requires a suspension of disbelief the size of Everest, if you are not afraid to insult your intelligence, or simply want to escape the realm of real life, this film may just be enough to make you smile.  If all else fails, at least you can say that you enjoyed your popcorn.

A note for the potential audience that like a film to evolve subtly and despise the in-your-face Jim Carey style of overacting, this is not the movie for you. The storyline is about as unpredictable as Bert Newton’s hairstyle and actors in this film do not understand the concept of less is more. 

On the up side, taking the kids into this one may just be enough to keep them entertained for at least an hour and a half of the school holidays. Jason is easy to like as the pint-sized hero, and Giamatti delivers the perfect comic book villain. It is reasonably inoffensive and safe for the kiddies, but be warned – impressionable minds may be inspired to order pizza to the neighbours house or add bleach to your shampoo.

Two and a half stars.

To see when Big Fat Liar is showing at a cinema near you, visit the Gippsland Portal Movie Page.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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