I can just imagine the sales pitch for this film now:
“You remember ‘Mrs. Doubtfire with that zany dude Robin Williams right? Okay, okay, now do you remember ‘Stakeout’ with Richard Dreyfuss and that Martin Sheen’s kid, eh… Eh… Emilio Estefez, that’s him, yeah? Sure, great films - well, we have a definite winner here, it’s a mixture of those two films and with black actors so everyone will enjoy it!”
Unfortunately, the number of hearty audience laughs during this film equalled the number of hairs on Homer Simpson’s head - not very many. Martin (”Bad Boys”) Lawrence is an FBI agent and master of disguise called Malcolm who goes deep undercover as the quite large grandmother of a young woman and son who are hiding from her ex-boyfriend, an escaped murderer [he doesn't look exactly like her "Big Momma" but it's been a while since they've seen each other so...].
In fact the plot is pretty much all “Stakeout” as the real Malcolm introduces himself as a handyman neighbour and gets friendly with the lady. And of course his FBI partner (across the street from Big Momma’s house) is doing his nut when he sees all this on the video camera.
But we also have this Big Momma character who can be quite amusing in short spells (but the novelty wore off sometime in nineteen-ninety-whenever “Doubtfire” was released). It’s a pity that Lawrence just doesn’t seem to be able to live up to the more recent comparable performances of Eddie Murphy in the “Nutty Professor” / “Klumps”. And the kid factor does not do anything for the film either.
“Big Momma’s House” has already been parodied in “Scary Movie” (and they were only released a month or so apart!) - I don’t think that normally happens with comedies. I wouldn’t waste my time again, I had seen the other two of three films being shown in the cinema so decided to give it a go…
*
www.awfularthurs.com
108 Campbell Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia
I asked a couple of Roanokies if there were any good places nearby to eat. They mentioned a place that had subs / sandwiches and was good, or another place called Awful Arthur’s which had seafood dishes, was very good but pricey. I wasn’t really in a sub mood so I decided to have a look at the AA menu outside and see just how pricey it was. It turned out to be fairly okay, ranging from 12 to 16 dollars for the main course, so I ventured on in… I started with a tasty seafood gumbo, more fluid than solid as I expected something roux-ey (sp.), but it had a nice mixture of seafood, okra and spices. I then decided to try their creole seafood dish, which consisted of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops, alligator sausage (delicious), red / green pepper, white / yellow onion in a cajun tomato sauce on a bed of rice and served with a side of hot buttered baguette. It was filling and flavoursome, recommended. They had a wide range of seafood fare from lobster to fresh maki. I had a pretty standard dessert and the servers were a bit distant, but I enjoyed the rest of the meal. And I’ve just noticed they forgot to charge me for the gumbo…
***
Main Street, Blacksburg, Virginia 24060
Yet another restaurant in the town that begins with a “B”! Bordreaux’s speciality is cajun and bayou cuisine ranging from creole subs to rice-based dishes. The restaurant has two storeys and is very spacious, but the open plan layout of the downstairs needed more divides or plants or something as it lacked a certain level of privacy. Having said that, the food was delicious; I sampled a jambalaya to be proud of with shrimp, crawfish, chicken, sausage and vegetables I’d never even heard of, served with a hunk of southern “biscuit”. The best compliment I can think of is that I will be going back there again for more tasty cooking
**1/2
www.awfularthurs.com
108 Campbell Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia
I asked a couple of Roanokies if there were any good places nearby to eat. They mentioned a place that had subs / sandwiches and was good, or another place called Awful Arthur’s which had seafood dishes, was very good but pricey. I wasn’t really in a sub mood so I decided to have a look at the AA menu outside and see just how pricey it was. It turned out to be fairly okay, ranging from 12 to 16 dollars for the main course, so I ventured on in… I started with a tasty seafood gumbo, more fluid than solid as I expected something roux-ey (sp.), but it had a nice mixture of seafood, okra and spices. I then decided to try their creole seafood dish, which consisted of fresh fish, shrimp, scallops, alligator sausage (delicious), red / green pepper, white / yellow onion in a cajun tomato sauce on a bed of rice and served with a side of hot buttered baguette. It was filling and flavoursome, recommended. They had a wide range of seafood fare from lobster to fresh maki. I had a pretty standard dessert and the servers were a bit distant, but I enjoyed the rest of the meal. And I’ve just noticed they forgot to charge me for the gumbo…
***
212 North Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060
From the outside, I wasn’t too sure if this place was an arcade gaming zone or a restaurant, but looking closer through the window I saw some people at a table eating so I went on in… The place was quite dark inside, decorated in aqua blue, and crowded so I had to wait a few minutes for a table (a good sign!). The menu jad a wide range of appetizers, chicken wing combos, “wraps” (tortillas, enchildas, burritos) and subs / sandwiches. I had their ‘famous’ crab soup (thick), chicken fajita hoagy with sweet potato fries (a bit soggy - other types were steak of caesar), and raspberry (not very) cheesecake. Service was a bit erratic, sometimes fast, other times slow, but friendly. Good value overall: $15 for three courses and a soda.
**
201 North Main Street, Blacksburg, VA 24060
Combo bar and diner with seafood oriented menu. Friendly staff, relaxed surroundsings. I had potato and chicken soup with crackers, which was very tasty considering the basic ingredients. I was then brought a small, freshly cooked loaf of bread on a chopping board, nice touch. For dinner I had the terrific Chicken Oscar: chicken breast stuffed with crab meat and spinach and optional mozarrella topping. The main course was served with a bowl of pasta and tomato sauce (or rice, potato) which was a meal in itself, and a side salad. Including tip and drink, the total was a [very] reasonable $20.00.
***
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