Little Man

You pretty much know what you’re in for with any movie about little people pretending to be babies, and Little Man doesn’t disappoint those low expectations. Marlon Wayans (his head, anyway) is the diminutive thug in question who has to pose as an abandoned toddler to get back a stolen diamond he’s hidden in someone’s handbag. His main problem is that the handbag’s owner is married to Shawn Wayans, who desperately wants a child and jumps at the chance to raise the "foundling.” No surprise then that farting/diaper/kick-to-the-crotch jokes prevail, and while the Wayans brothers play their parts to a tee there’s not much to occupy a thinking viewer — not even when the 11th hour affirmation of familial love softens the harsher sentiments. Those who like this sort of thing will not be disappointed but it’s disheartening to hear the film’s propaganda about how women belong in the home. Not only is it suggested that career women emasculate their spouses but there’s a terrible Auntie Tom speech by a neighbour-mother who extols the rejection of career for family. It’s this element, and not the intentional and laboured vulgarity, that truly offends and makes this somewhat more contemptible than the usual slob comedy mediocrity. The special effects that marry Marlon’s head to someone else’s body are quite good but that alone can’t save it. Extras include a feature commentary with the Wayans brothers that strains to be funny but fails, a rudimentary "making of” featurette, two slightly better clips on the special effects and Marlon’s body double, a tragically unfunny bit about Marlon’s "method” portrayal, and 16 deleted scenes.