I never found Martin Lawrence to be all that funny, either as a stand-up comedian or an actor. He may very well be quite talented, but he has never made any attempts to travel anywhere better comics haven't already ventured. His films are all cynical Hollywood products that look like they were made more from a checklist than a screenplay. "Big Momma's House 2," a sequel I don't think anyone was asking for, is no exception.

This time around, Malcolm Turner (Lawrence) once again dons the guise of "Big Momma" May Pierce in order to find out who killed a former partner, who was working undercover to stop thieves from stealing a computer disc that would give them access to nearly all government intelligence files. He gets hired as a nanny for Tom Fuller (Mark Moses) one of the FBI's chief suspects to get intel, all the while inadvertently bonding with Fuller's wife (Emily Proctor) and three kids. Of course, in between, all sorts of hilarity ensures, none of which you haven't seen before: Big Momma cleans house with a leaf blower, fixes the kids breakfast by pouring milk into a cereal box, does laundry by tossing dirty clothes into the garbage (ha-ha), ends the family dog's depression by getting it drunk, etc. We know there will be numerous segments featuring Big Momma kicking ass, shocking her employers with her housekeeping methods (which she naturally counters with comments about how they neglect their children), becoming a motherly mentor to the kids, etc. All this would be fine if the movie was actually funny, but I only laughed out loud three times, and none of those laughs involved Lawrence in his ridiculous get-up; the only truly funny moments involve the Fullers' three-year-old child, Andrew, who has a penchant for diving from high places (bunk-bed, playground equipment, etc.) only to land face-first on the ground. Most of the time, the film seems content to assume Martin posing as Big Momma is inherently funny, simply because she's so fat, such as the truly pathetic beach scenes, where we watch 300 pound Big Momma parody Bo Derek in a skimpy bathing suit; the overall effect is more pathetic than amusing, though I can just see undemanding fans of the lowbrow humor of the first film doubling over with laughter. The movie also requires a lot of willing suspension of disbelief; there are several times where, in transitional scenes, Turner is apparently able to don his elaborate Big Momma garb faster than Superman can change clothes in a phone booth. During the few times the movie focuses on the bullet-holed plot, we seldom care what's going on, because we've seen it all before. In fact, we can practically predict with psychic accuracy nearly ever scene before it happens.

The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and the overall image is pretty good, as is the sound, rendered effectively - albeit uncreatively - in 5.1 Dolby Digital; the numerous (and pointless) music montages, featuring booming hip-hop music (also predictable - we just know within a few minutes of meeting the family's middle child, who aspires to be a cheerleader, that Big Momma will same the day by getting her freak on), comes in loud and clear, with little or not distortion.

Several deleted scenes, with optional commentary, are included, and it's easy to see why most of those scenes were excised. A full length commentary is also provided by director John Whitesell, producer David Friendly and actor Zachary Levi (FBI agent Kevin, who also has a few amusing moments). "Big Momma's Secrets" is a short featurette, and worth watching for fans of the film. Trailers for other Fox sequels are also included, which play as soon as you pop in the disc.

"Big Momma's House 2" is a distressingly unfunny sequel that might be worth a rental for those who just can't get enough of Martin Lawrence, in drag or otherwise. For the most part, the story is generic and phenomenally predictable, as are most of the so-called hilarious set-pieces. Lawrence goes through his usual paces, delivering exactly what undemanding audiences apparently want from him, but I'd like to see what he could do with a role that doesn't necessarily cater to his audience, because although he's never starred in a movie worth a damn, I think, given the change, he can pull off an edgier role. Similar Movies: "Big Momma's House"; "Mrs. Doubtfire"; "The Pacifier"