BIG TROUBLE

US, 2002, 95 minutes, Colour.
Tim Allen, Rene Russo, Stanley Tucci, Tom Sizemore, Johnny Knoxville, Denis Farina, Jack Kehler, Janeane Gorofolo, Patrick Warburton, Ben Foster, Zoe Deschanel, Heavy D. Myers, Omar Eps, Jason Lee, Sofia Vergara.
Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.

Big Trouble (like the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Collateral Damage) was one of the distribution victims of September 11, 2001. Because Big Trouble is ultimately concerned with a nuclear bomb on a plane and the ease of security breakages in Miami, the film was withdrawn from release for at least one year.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld was a cinematographer who began a directing career with The Addams Family films and then made such successes as Get Shorty, the Men in Black films and The Wild, Wild West.

1.Entertaining comedy? Farce – American style?

2.The Florida settings, the sleazy world and the bars, arms smugglers? The world of the wealthy? Crooked business people? Ordinary homes, ordinary people? The roads, the airport? The jokes by Henry and Leonard about Florida and their dislike of it? The musical score?

3.The blend of different styles of comedy: the spoof, the farce?

4.The background of terrorism and airport security? Weapons, nuclear bombs? The ability to joke about these issues in the time of the war against terrorism?

5.The opening, Puggy and his looking like Jesus Christ, the halo effect as he gave his story, his observations?

6.The focus on Elliot Arnold, the forlorn hero, his working at the advertising agency, the background of his work, getting the sack, his wife having an affair, the client wanting a sexy ad, his trying to do this? His son and his wanting to borrow the car? The divorce, alienation from his wife, messages about alimony? His trying to cope? His son and his being arrested? His meeting Anna Herk? At her home, the clash with Arthur? His trying to take his son in hand? Her coming to visit him at the office, the beginning of the affair? The second arrest, Elliot and his having to become involved again with his son? The thugs arriving, his hiding, getting Nina to help? The snipers observing everything? The hurry to the airport, the case with the bomb? Going through the bookings, getting on the plane, his heroics, getting rid of the bomb, Snake going overboard? Getting his son’s admiration? The happy ending with Anna?

7.Matt and his friend? Borrowing Matt’s father’s car, the shooting, audiences assuming that it was real, the snipers watching over the fence in dismay, the shot and the destruction of the television? Calling the police? Arthur’s anger? The irony that it was a school stunt, to get points? The exasperation of the parents? Next day and planning to do the exercise again with Jenny? Trying to hide in the back street, the security guard, his shooting, his dropping the gun? The friend picking it up – and being taken by the police? Their going home, the arrival of the thugs, their all being caught up in the car going to the airport?

8.Puggy, coming to Florida, the food, the vagrant? The money, going to the bar for a drink, the encounter with Snake and Eddie, the owners of the bar and no customers? The bashing? His looking over the back fence at the Herk household, seeing what was going on, the immediate attraction to Nina – and the heightened romantic interlude played for smiles? Helping, back at the bar, having to carry the trunk, being put in the boot of the car? Going to the airport and his escape? Giving the information to the authorities? The continued romance with Nina?

9.Snake and Eddie, dumb, being released from jail, their friendship, trying to be tough, the clash with Puggy, being bashed with the baseball bat by the owner of the bar? Their return, the masks, trying to rob the bar, the lack of money? The assassins looking on again in puzzlement? The case, the bomb – it having come off the plane, looking like a disposal machine? Arthur and his doing the money deals? Snake and Eddie taking them all to the house? The assassins following? The police and their involvement, Monica and Walter? The thugs and their ineptitude? The decision to take the case, going to the plane, the Smith family buying tickets, getting on board, Snake’s impatience, Eddie trying to help, Elliott acting and knocking him out, the struggle with Snake – and the case falling out and exploding in the ocean?

10.The Herk family, Anna and her divorce from her husband, bringing up her daughter, their friendship? Her beginning the affair with Elliott? The encounter with the boys and the school stunt? Her being tied up with the family, then being taken to the airport? Participating in the struggle? Jenny and her deadpan manner, ticking off Matt’s friend? Friendship with Matt? The happy ending with the three together?

11.Arthur as the villain of the piece, the target for his misappropriations, the bagman for the company, the company meeting and their concern? His television being shot? His perpetual anger? Criticisms of his wife and daughter? Calling the police, being rude to the police? The second TV being shot? The confrontation with Elliott? His being tied up, trying to get away with Walter, trying to get to the airport? His disasters on the road? The comedy of his disguise with the wig? Getting his comeuppance?

12.The assassins, genial, arriving in Florida, their continual criticisms of what it looked like, felt like, the people? The running joke about the Gators and the football matches – and listening to the radio, turning it off, the fans ringing in and challenging the DJ? Trying to do their job, shooting the television? Observing the thugs, looking over the fence? Going to the airport – and getting on the plane: full of Gator supporters?

13.The police, Monica and her toughness, Walter and his ineptitude? The going to the house, trying to handle the situation? Chasing the security guard? Walter and his stupidity? Their going to the home, the cars being taken, being tied up? Walter and the strip-search – and his decision to become a stripper?

14.The end, the summary of what happened to everyone – and the jokey format?

15.American humour, jokes about family, guns, guns and games, the Russians, arms dealing, terrorism, lack of security? And old-fashioned heroics?