Big Stan

Genre - Comedy/Martial Arts
Year Released - 2007 [though the DVD just came out today!]
Running Time - 105 minutes
Directed by Rob Schneider (his directorial debut)
Written by Josh Lieb (who has written several episodes of The Daily Show, The Jon Stewart Show, and NewsRadio)
Cast Includes:
Rob Schneider (the Deuce Bigalow films, The Animal, The Hot Chick, and several Adam Sandler films)
Jennifer Morrison (Stir of Echoes and Urban Legends: Final Cut)
David Carradine (Kwai Chang Caine from the 70's television series Kung Fu and the 90's update Kung Fu: The Legend Continues - he is also Bill from the Kill Bill films)
Scott Wilson (he was the mayor in The Animal)
Kevin Gage (Lightning Bug, Con Air, Paparazzi, and the awful Last House on the Left rip-off Chaos)



Rating: 5 Skulls

Plot Summary:

Rob Schneider plays Big Stan - a diminutive real estate con man who, upon learning that he is headed for prison, hires a martial arts guru to train him for the purpose of self-defense behind bars. Once incarcerated, Stan earns the respect of his fellow inmates and ends up bringing a sense of order and synchronicity to the place - until a warden with a hidden agenda tries to thwart Stan's benevolent efforts.

Big Stan "training" with The Master

Review:

I have no idea why this film took 2 years to be released, but I am counting it as an '09 film and with that said, it is the funniest film of the year thus far! [in fact, it may just be my new favorite comedy, period!]

This is a laugh-out-loud hysterical movie! Without a doubt the best film that Rob Schneider's appeared in!

'Big Stan' vs MMA Fighter Bob "The Beast" Sapp

Busted for fraud [he cons old ladies into buying time shares in bad neighborhoods, etc] Stan is sentenced to a minimum of 3 years in prison. However, he has 6 months before he's put in the slammer. . .

While in a bar, Stan notices a biker with prison tattoos - approaching the biker, he mentions that he is getting ready to go to prison, and he wants to know what he can expect. The biker [played by Dan Haggerty] lays it out for Stan - in one of the funniest scenes in the film, the biker tells Stan how he is guaranteed to get raped while in prison - he explains that rape isn't an act of sex, but an act of violence, and prison is all about violence and being judged by how bad other convicts fear you. . .

The funniest line of the film ensues, after the biker asks Stan if he has any 'ink' Stan proudly displays a tattoo that he got when he was 18 - it's a tattoo of his mother's face with "Mommy" written above the portrait. The biker then tells Stan, "you may as well buy a welcome mat, strap it to your a-hole, and say I'm open for business" [I was laughing so hard during this scene, I had tears in my eyes]

Needless to say, Stan is pretty freaked out after this conversation, and he starts trying to do everything he can, to prepare himself for the inevitable. Enter. . . The Master [played by David Carradine] After training with The Master [who is a serious chain smoker] Stan becomes a one-man warrior, ready for whatever prison throws his way. . .

En route to prison, we see Stan's "Mommy" tattoo now has a knife through it and "Killer" is written beneath it :-)

I could go on and on, there is so much more hilarity to tell about, but I will leave it for you to discover for yourself.

Here's the trailer:

If you are a fan of MMA, Bob Sapp, Randy Couture, and Don Frye are all in this film as well.

Also, Dan Inosanto has a super brief scene! Other faces that you will surely recognize - Jackson Rathbone, Henry Gibson, Richard Riehle, M. Emmett Walsh, Richard Kind, and many other familiar faces.

Also, be sure to watch the 30-minute Comedy is Pain "making-of" special feature - right now, I'm off to watch the commentary. . .

Jason